Rumble in Lagos NCP over chairman’s suspension

• Party removes Ibuowo, reinstates Agunbiade
• It’s illegal, untrue, says Akele
There have been discordant tunes within the Lagos chapter of National Conscience Party of Nigeria (NCP) over the alleged indefinite suspension of the party’s Acting Chairman, Fatai Ibuowo.

Ibuowo according to the party was suspended from the office due to anti-party activities, gross misconduct, indiscipline and insubordination.

But in counter reaction, the National General Secretary of the party, Mr. Ayodele Akele dismissed the claim saying: “Ibuowo remains the party’s acting chairman.”

The Lagos state publicity, Comrade Kehinde Adeoye in a statement made available to The Guardian, listing the offences committed by Ibuowo, stressing that the decision was taken on July 13, 2016 when the embattled acting chairman walked out of the meeting at the state headquarters, Ikeja after a minor disagreement.

Adeoye disclosed that at another meeting, the party reinstated Tunde Agunbiade as the state chairman after reviewing the circumstances that led to his suspension, which was discovered to be baseless and faulty.

According to him, “Agunbiade would henceforth pilot the affairs of the party until November/December when we shall hold our congress.”

He said the party remained the conscience of the political life of the nation, “the masses and particularly adherents of the founder of NCP, late Chief Gani Fawehinmi.”

He enjoined supporters of NCP to rally round the party in a bid to save the masses of Nigeria from poverty.

Giving further details on why Ibuowo was suspended, the Secretary of the party, Michael Omuya told The Guardian that, “It is the prerogative of the executive of the party to pick delegates for the national congress, unfortunately Ibuowo decided on his own to defile the party’s constitution by picking the delegates to the congress himself. That must have been the reason he walked out of the meeting and after critical investigation we came to the conclusion to suspend him indefinitely.”

Omuya said the former chairman still has his rights as a member of the party but he can no longer act as chairman.

Insisting Ibuowo remains the party’s acting chairman, Akele said there was no iota of truth in the purported suspension, saying the acting chairman’s position remains intact, valid and authentic. Any action taken by any member or body is null and void.

“I was at the last party’s congress held on 21, July 2016 at the International Conference and Event Centre, Igbatoro Road, Akure, Ondo State alongside Ibuowo where I was elected as the National Secretary and Ibuowo led the Lagos delegate to the congress. I urge everyone loyal to the party to ignore such claim,” he said.