ABUJA — THE anti-Etiebet forces in the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) yesterday sent the party’s National Chairman, Chief Don Etiebet, on suspension just 24 hours after his own loyalists in the party suspended Governor Attahiru Bafawara of Sokoto State for alleged anti-party activity.
One time Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, General Jerry Useni (rtd), was named the party’s acting chairman. The suspension of Chief Etiebet for alleged dictatorial tendencies was announced by the ANPP chairman in Nasarawa State, Mr. J. J. Umar, on behalf of 28 other state chairmen.
Moment after the announcement, Senator Sule Yari Ghandi and others led General Useni to the office of the Chairman where the portrait of Chief Etiebet hanging on the walls was taken off and smashed by one of the party members. As he took his seat, General Useni said members of the party could no longer condone dictatorial tendencies within the party. “There was never a time a decision was taken to suspend Bafarawa and if he has to be suspended it would be done in line with the constitution of the party. We can no longer tolerate a situation where the party is being run like a private estate.”
Commenting on the situation, Senator Ghandi said the faction suspended Chief Etiebet because it believed he was an agent working for the rival People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He said: “Etiebet is a PDP agent and there are series of allegations of inefficiency against him and following formal complaints by the party members from the state, the NEC met and suspended him.”
The faction immediately left Abuja for Sokoto to pay a solidarity visit to Governor Attahiru Bafarawa who had earlier on Tuesday night been suspended from the party after a meeting of the National Working Committee presided over by the National Chairman. However, in a countermove, Chief Etiebet announced at a press conference at the Yobe State Governor’s Lodge that his suspension should be considered as a lie. According to him, following the reconciliation efforts of members of the national caucus of the party led by Yobe Governor, Bukar Ibrahim, the two factions within the party had been reconciled, adding that the national secretary who had earlier been suspended from the party and made to face a probe panel had been recalled and cleared of all allegations.
He said: “Arising from events of the past months, the national caucus of our great party, which is the highest standing organ empowered by our constitution to resolve all issues affecting the party, met last night and resolved as follows:
— That the leadership of the party, led by Chief Don Etiebet remains intact and is under no threat whatsoever.
— That the purported suspension of the Executive Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, is hereby nullified and of no effect.
— That the suspension of the National Secretary of our great party, Alhaji Sani El Katuzu, is also nullified and he should resume office immediately.
— The national caucus enjoins that any member of the party who henceforth acts in anyway in contradiction of the spirit of these decisions and positions of the national caucus shall be disciplined by the party accordingly.
— That the National Executive Committee of the party which was scheduled for today (Thursday), the 9th of September, 2004 is hereby temporarily postponed.
— Our party is intact and actually it is much stronger than yesterday.
Speaking on the appointment of General Useni as the acting National Chairman, the National Secretary, Alhaji El-Katuzu, said the General did not accept the appointment as made by the state chairmen.
Alhaji El-Katuzu added that the General Secretary was at the meeting of the state chairmen in order to inform them of the decision of the national caucus meeting.
The press conference was attended by five of the seven governors of the party, 10 members of the NWC, Secretary of Board of Trustees, Alhaji Gambo Magaji.
