Kaduna APC Crisis: Gov el-Rufai Faces 6 Months Suspension

BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The crisis rocking the Kaduna State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) is getting messier with a six month suspension slammed on embattled Governor Nasiru el-Rufai by a faction of the Party.

Announcing its action against the Governor on Sunday, the Alhaji Danladi Wada-led faction of the Party said the decision was taken following his refusal to meet the 48 hours deadline requesting that he respond to a query issued to him last week.

Interestingly, Governor el-Rufai’s suspension is against the backdrop of moves by another APC faction suspending Senator Hunkuyi for six months and expelling 28 other members from the Party for various offences, including anti-party activities.

Briefing the media in Kaduna on Sunday, APC factional chairman, Alhaji Wada said Governor el-Rufai’s failure to answer the query as demanded by the Party led to the suspension order.

Explaining the rationale behind the press conference, Wada said; “This briefing is sequel to 48 hours ultimatum/query and warning issued to the state governor to explain and defence himself against the allegations leveled against him, which he failed to respond.”

According to him, “The State Working Committee on Saturday 17, February 2018, convened and resolved to consider and to rectify the findings and recommendations of the Disciplinary Committee and the Fact Finding Committee put before it in accordance with the provision of article 21(B) section 3 of the APC constitution and accordingly, the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai stands suspended for 6 months from the APC, commencing from 17, February, 2018.”

Wada stated that though the Party is going through some real internal challenges in the State, the executives and other stakeholders will not spare efforts at ensuring all the factions are reconciled in the overall interest of the APC and Kaduna people.

He however said real reconciliation would only be possible ‘if justice and the willingness to take difficult decisions are upheld’, adding that expectations were high about the ability of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu-led APC’s Presidential Reconciliation Committee to address all the lingering crisis within the party.

The Wada group insisted that efforts at crisis resolution within the State chapter may be unsuccessful given Governor el-Rufai’s combative attitude, pomposity and usual non-admittance of his faults even in the face of obvious anomalies and facts.