Yobe APC Expels NEMA DG from Party

Michael Olugbode in Damaturu

The newly-appointed Director General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja, has been expelled by the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the party in Yobe State.

The expulsion was contained in a statement issued and signed yesterday by the state secretary of the party, Alhaji Abubakar Bakabe, which was made available to journalists in Damaturu
The statement said the APC state executive council, expelled Maihaja from the party for flagrant abuse of the party’s constitution.

It said section 21’D,’ sub-section (V) of the APC constitution empowers the state executive council of the party to take punitive measures against erring party members.
The DG was accused of abusing the APC constitution by filing court action against the governorship election in Yobe State without exhausting other avenues of seeking redress provided for in the party constitution

Section 21’D,’ sub-section (V) also states that “any member who files an action in court of law against the party or any of its officer on any matter relating to the discharge of the duties of the party without first exhausting the avenues for redress provided for in this constitution shall automatically stand expelled on filing such action and no appeal against the expulsion stipulated in this cause shall be entertained until the withdrawal of the action from court by the member.”

The party said Maihaja acted against section 21 ‘A’ sub-section 10 of the party constitution which warned members against “filing an action in a court of law against the party or any of its officers on any matter relating to the discharge of the duties of the party without first exhausting all avenues provided for in the constitution.”

The statement argued that the DG NEMA “refused to explore all available avenues and flagrantly abused the constitution by instituting a court action against the party until the determination of the case by the Supreme court which ruled in favour of the party and Governor Ibrahim Gaidam.”
The statement also claimed that the action of the DG had created divisions, disaffection, disunity and lack of loyalty within the ranks and file of the party.

“In view of this therefore, the party has expelled Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja indefinitely and is hereby advised from this day to desist from parading himself as a member of the party,” the statement said.

Maihaja had instituted a case in court against the party and Governor Gaidam, faulting the nomination of the governor as the party’s candidate in the 2015 governorship election but, lost both at the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.