APC moves to sanction ex-vice chair over suit against Buni’s committee 

The Cross River state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has resolved to constitute a panel that would probe and sanction the party’s former National Vice Chairman (South-South), Hilliard Eta over alleged anti-party activities.

Eta filed a suit on November 26, 2020, through his lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), at an Abuja High Court challenging the dissolution of the Adams Oshiomhole-led NWC of the APC which he was part of, and demanding the court to restrain the caretaker committee from running the party.

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The Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee was inaugurated in June 2020, with the mandate to run the party and organise a national convention within six months for a new crop of NWC to emerge following the dissolution of the Oshiomhole led NWC.

The Cross River state chapter of the party, the home state of Eta, in a statement on Sunday, by its Chairman, Sen. Mathew T. Mbu and Minister of State for Power, who is the leader of the party in the state, Prince Jedy Agba, said Eta, did not explore the internal mechanism of resolving crisis before going to court.

“The Cross River State chapter of the APC has resolved to set up a committee to look into the nefarious activities of the former National Vice Chairman (South-South) with a view to meting out disciplinary measures on him accordingly.

“As a matter of fact, the Cross River APC is on all fours with the decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party and our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari that those who took the party to court before should withdraw such cases while any aggrieved person is urged to explore all the internal mechanisms of resolving any issue.

“We hereby warn Ntufam Eta and his co-travellers as well as co-conspirators to retrace their steps and avoid being used by fifth columnists as agents of destabilisation,” the party said.

The Director-General of the Progressive Governors (PGF), Alhaji Salihu Mohammed Lukman in a statement on Sunday said, “The suite instituted by Mr. Hilliard Eta, former APC National Vice Chairman (South-South) against the APC Caretaker Committee, is basically aimed to negotiate the return of Mr. Eta to the leadership of the APC.

“Once we are able to institutionalise internal leadership contests in APC, some of the avoidable distractions based on manipulative strategies using both legal and extra-judicial strategies can be avoided.

“Most of the needless court cases within our parties, including the APC, are initiated based on the anger that open and transparent leadership contest are blocked.

“A simple legal audit of all legal cases by party members and leaders against their parties, will show that, the objective is mainly to negotiate leadership positions.”

However, the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu who is also a chieftain of the APC, in a statement on Sunday, appealed to Eta to withdraw his suit again the party.