THE Action Congress of Nigeria on Monday announced the suspension of its National Treasurer, Chief Kenneth Kobani, and the party's Publicity Secretary, Mr. Jerry Needam.
The party, in a statement by its Rivers State Chairman, Esuku Esuku, and its Secretary, Mr. Ngoji Warmate, said the suspension was based on the anti-party activities of the affected members.
Esuku specifically accused Needam of being present at the Port Harcourt International Airport to receive the State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Chairman, Mr. Felix Obuah. Besides, he said Nedam had also issued statements in favour of the state PDP.
Explaining that their suspension was based on the violation of Articles 7.11, 9.1 and 9.2 of the state ACN constitution, the opposition party also named two members of its Executive; Mr. Ibieneye Lolo and Loli Green, among those who were affected by the suspension.
The statement read, "The following members of the Action Congress of Nigeria in Rivers State have been suspended with immediate effect for anti-party activities.
"They are Mr. Kenneth Kobani, Jerry Needam, Mr. Ibieneye Lolo, Loli Green and Mrs. Nancy Nwankwo. Their suspension was based on the violation of Article 7.11 and Article 9.1 and 9.2 of the ACN constitution.
"The suspended members were involved in a romance with the PDP in the state and participating in PDP activities as well as public blackmailing of the national leadership of the party (ACN), thereby disabusing the mind of party faithful and loyalists."
It, however, indicated that Mr. Oyagiri Chiemalam had been directed to take over as the state acting Publicity Secretary of the ACN.
But Kobani described the statement suspending him as laughable, adding that the state chairman of the party, who is on an acting capacity, had no right to suspend an executive member of the party at the national level.
Kabani said, "Esuku is on the payroll of government. He (Esuku) tupifies some crop of politicians in the country today, who are just after their pockets. Some people have no moral decency."
The Punch