The internal wrangling rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State on Monday claimed its first casualty following the impeachment of the Chairman of Ogun Waterside Local Government, Femi Onanuga, allegedly carried out by four councillors.
Also sacked alongside the chairman were the Vice Chairman of the council and two other councillors.
Daily Trust gathered that they were sacked over “open declaration of support” for the governorship candidate of the APC, Dapo Abiodun.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun who led the other bloc of the ruling party had vowed to work against Abiodun in the March 2 governorship poll.
Instead, Amosun is backing the gubernatorial candidate of Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Adekunle Akinlade.
Onanuga, in an interview on Monday, confirmed what he termed “illegal impeachment,” saying his crime was his refusal “to join the governor and his supporters’ anti-party activities.”
He said: “I was impeached in just 20 minutes. I don’t know what I did wrong.
“I refused to join APM. I refused to be involved in anti-party activities; I told them that I, Onanuga was elected on the platform of APC. I support President Muhammadu Buhari and other APC candidates”.
However, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs , Jide Ojuko said “the government was not aware of the impeachment.”
But, the spokesman of APC caretaker committee, Tunde Oladunjoye, described the sack as “illegal” and “tantamount to executive recklessness which would not be condoned”.
Oladunjoye however called for the reinstatement of the impeached chairman and also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call Amosun to order.