The ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) has rarified the expulsion of former member of House of Representatives and chieftain of the party, Dr Cairo Ojougboh for alleged anti-party activities in Delta State.
Recall that Dr. Ojougboh was expelled from the APC over his alleged unethical conduct during the February 25 Presidential and March 18 Governorship elections which was later nullified through the National Legal Adviser of the APC, Ahmad El- Marzuq.
But few days after El-Marzuq overturned the sack after State chapter of the Party provided empirical evidences of alleged culpability of Dr. Ojougboh, the party again through El-Marzuq, ratified the expulsion of Cairo Ojougboh stating that the final decision was arrived after new facts emerged.
Addressing journalists in Effurun, Uvwie local government area of Delta, Valentine Onojeghwo, Publicity Secretary of the party in Delta State told journalists that Cairo Ojougboh remains suspended.
Onojeghwo, who was surrounded by the APC State Secretary, Surv. Peter Akarogbe and the Special Leader of the Party, Mudiaga Okorefe said that the letter from the Party’s National Legal Adviser has confirmed that Cairo Ojougboh is no longer a member of the APC in Delta state, he added, “Dr. Cairo is gone as Godwin Emefiele, former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria and fuel subsidy is gone.”
The letter by El-Marzuq made available to journalists, stated that the expulsion of Dr. Ojougboh from the Party is valid, based on his violation of the Party’s Constitution by filing an action in Court against the Party and establishing an illegal parallel executive committee to carry out his machinations aimed at destabilizing the Party.
He noted that the decision of the party is final.
The letter read in part, “however, subsequent facts have come to light, revealing inconsistencies in your client’s claims and actions. It has come to our attention that Dr. Ojougboh has filed an action against the Party in Suit No. A/82/2023 Between DR. Cairo Ojougboh VS All Progressives Congress & 3 ORS regarding his expulsion, thereby circumventing the Internal dispute resolution mechanisms prescribed by the Party’s Constitution.
The letter added, “it is important to state that filing a matter in Court without first exhausting the Party’s internal depute resolution mechanisms is a gross violation of Article 21.5 (v) of the Party’s Constitution and such an offense carries the punishment of expulsion.”
The letter from the National Legal Adviser of the APC further added, “therefore, I must formally retract the earlier letter sent to you. It is now clear that the expulsion of Dr. Ojougboh from the Party is valid, based on his violation of the Party’s Constitution by filing an action in Court against the Party and establishing an illegal parallel executive committee to carry out his machinations aimed at destabilizing the Party. I request that you communicate these developments and the Party’s
position to your client, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh. It is crucial that he
understands the grounds upon which his expulsion has been ratified by the Party and that the decision is final.”
