Niger APC: Sacked Chairman, Secretary Can’t Speak For us

By Laleye Dipo

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Niger State Chapter, has said that its sacked chairman and secretary, Mr. Jibrin Imam and Mr. Mohammed Liman, respectively cannot no longer speak for or on behalf of the party.

Imam and Liman were sacked from the party in July 2020 for alleged gross misconduct, misappropriation of funds and disregard to the constitution of the party.

The Legal Adviser of the APC, Mr. Khaleel Ibrahim Aliyu, in a statement made available to newsmen in Minna yesterday said that the clarification about the position of the erstwhile leaders of the party had become necessary following a statement in circulation purportedly authored by them.

The statement alleged that both Limam and Imam had taken exception to the plan being made by the APC to lay claim to the leadership of the state chapter of the party and accuse the Niger State Governor, Mr. Abubakar Sani Bello, of not doing enough to resolve the crisis that has plagued the party for over one year now.

Khaleel reminded Limam and Imam that the national secretariat of the APC had endorsed their “impeachments” and communicated them accordingly.

The secretariat also affirmed the appojntment of Mr. Aliyu Saidu Galkogo and Mr. Suleiman Abdullahi as the party’s acting state chairman and secretary respectively while the Acting State Tresurer f the APC, is Mr. Usman Ahmed Madaki.

He also stated that the National Executive Committee of the APC has dissolved all the state executives of the party at all levels throughout the country and appointed caretaker committees to oversee the affairs of the party from ward to the national level.

He also said that the national leadership of the party set up and swore in a 35-man executive committee for the party in the state, which was followed by the inauguration of the 25 local governments and 274 wards executive committees.

Khaleel said: “Anyone who did not take the oath of office after the dissolution of the party executives by the NEC and the inauguration of new executive members at all levels for the state is not and cannot claim to be an executive member of our great party, the APC in any capacity.

“We, therefore, wish to categorically clarify that the impeached people cannot lay any claim to the leadership of the party in the state.”

“The APC presently has a constitutionally recognised leadership in place and anyone trying to do anything to the contrary is an impostor who will be made to face the full wrath of the law in due course.”

He encouraged them (Liman and Imam) to “accept the decision of the party and work with its resolutions if they still want to remain members of the party in the state.”

Khaleel also exonerated Governor Bello of any blame in the crisis saying that the governor mediated several times to find amicable solution to the dispute but the impeached people did not allow his efforts to bear fruits.

The legal adviser advised all loyal and dedicated members of the party to “remain focused on achieving the goals ahead of us” and not be misled by the obnoxious statements.

Kaduna Loses Traditional Ruler

By John Shiklam in Kaduna

A first class traditional ruler in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, The Etsu Chikun, Mr. Danjuma Barde, is dead.

He died in the early hours of yesterday at the 44, Nigerian Army Referral Hospital Kaduna, after a brief illness.

The President of the Gbagyi Development Association (GDA), Mr. Peter Aboki, confirmed the death of the traditional ruler in a telephone interview yesterday.

Aboki said: “Yes we have loss our traditional ruler who has been having some health challenges. He died in the early hours of today, at 44, Army Hospital.”

The late traditional ruler was made a first class chief in November 2018, after the Kaduna State Governor, Mr. Nasir El-Rufai, changed the name of his Chiefdom from “Gbagyi Chiefdom” to “Chikun Chiefdom.”

The governor also changed the title of the traditional ruler from “Sa Gbagyi” to “Etsu Chikun,” in accordance with the state government’s policy that anchored the authority of traditional leaders on territory and not tribe.

However, the name change did not go down well with the Gbagyi ethnic nationality who insisted that it was an attempt to distort their history and culture.