APC panel recommends Timi Frank for expulsion

The South-South Zonal leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday ratified the recommendations of the Disciplinary Committee to suspend the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Timi Frank from the party. In addition, it would recommend his expulsion to the National Executive Committee of the party.

Rising from its emergency zonal meeting to consider the recommendations of the committee, which submitted its report on Thursday, the Zonal Vice Chairman Hillard Eta in a briefing said that the action was in line with the provisions of the party’s constitution, which has vested on it the powers to take such disciplinary action against erring members of the party.

The party had on October 26, raised a five-member panel to try Frank on the strength of a petition said to have been written against him by a member of the party from Akwa Ibom State, alleging unguarded attacks on the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun. However, he snubbed he panel on the strength that it was not properly constituted and also on the belief that the panel would likely be biased against him, because of his criticism of Oyegun, who is also from the South-South.

Eta said Frank’s suspension was in line with Article 21 D(i); the zonal executive committee should recommend to the NEC for the expulsion of Frank from the party in line with Article 21 (D)(h)(ii) and (iii).

He submitted that all efforts to get the embattled deputy spokesman to sheathe the sword in the attack on Oyegun, who is also from the zone had proved abortive, hence the zonal leadership decided to take the disciplinary measure with a view to instilling discipline within the rank and membership of the party.

Timi Frank last night dismissed the panel, describing it as an exercise in futility, vowing that he would not only shock the National Working Committee (NWC) and those behind the panel but will also deplore all legal means to fight for his rights.

Reacting to the submission of the report in a telephone chat with correspondents last night in Abuja, Frank said he was not moved by the outcome of the panel, which he did not believe in.

According to him: “I made it clear from the word go that I would not appear before any committee not constituted by respected party members and NEC because such committee lacks legality.”

He confirmed that he received an invitation from the panel but declined to appear because of the illegality of its composition.
Accor ding to him: “Yes, I got invitation letter from the panel but I made it clear that I would not recognise any committee set up outside NEC.

“I did not appear before the committee because it is in our constitution that only NEC can suspend any national officer. Therefore, there is no way I would have appeared before a kangaroo committee set up by the zone.

“Again, the South-South vice chairman of the party lacks integrity to set up a committee to try me. He would have known that I am not a zonal officer and cannot be tried by the committee set up by the zone. My pain is that my party is not wise enough to realise that such move is illegal. Any decision from such committee is not binding on me.

“I want to say that the involvement of the vice chairman South-South in the purported committee to suspend me was to cover up the hatchet and dirty job he has been doing of the party.

As far as I am concerned, I am still the acting publicity secretary of the party. “The report is an effort in futility and inconsequential. I want to emphasise that I will not go outside the rule of law in proving to them that all they did was an effort in futility.

“I want to inform those behind this that I am going to come up with a shocking surprise at the appropriate time but for now, I am still consulting with the relevant stakeholders and those working with me. It is not my fight alone. I want to make it clear to them that I am not scared,” he said.