*  I am still in office, sacked chairman fumes

By Pita Chib, Minna

The ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, in Niger State was thrown into confusion  Thursday  evening as the Chairman, Jibrin Imam, was sacked by aggrieved party chieftains even as the party chieftain described their action as illegal. 

It was learnt  that the embattled chairman who was in court over misappropriation of over N817 million was said to have been sacked by both state and local government officials of the party.

It was gathered from the venue of an emergency meeting at Haskey Hotel, Minna that the meeting was called by  the party  Local government executives and the state executive working committee to pass  a vote of no confidence on the state party chairman, State Secretary and the Treasurer. 

The meeting, held in the absence of the leader of the party in the state and Governor Abubakar Bello, who was in a reconciliation committee for Edo state while his state is on fire, accused the sacked officers of gross misdemeanor, abuse of office and financial recklessness  between 2014 and 2019.

The meeting was said to have been summoned by  the Deputy Chairman of the party, Ali Kapenter  and they unanimously removed  Imam and replaced him with the zone B vice chairman of the party,  Aliyu  Saidu Kalkogo,  the Secretary, Barrister  Bala Mohammed Liman was replaced by  Suleiman  Abdullahi, the state Assistant Youth Leader from Lavun local government area while the Treasurer Dr. Shafi  Abdulsalami was replaced by his kinsman  Saidu Madaki  from Wushishi local government council.

Confirming the development, the zonal youth leader of APC  Niger South  senatorial district, Alhaji Ibrahim  Muazu, said the state Chairman,  Secretary and  Treasurer were removed from office and were immediately replaced. 

He said  the sacked chairman, Secretary and Treasurer misappropriated  party funds totaling over N817million  and they decided to drag him to court and to save the image of the party they decided to move against them.

" Despite the millions of Naira the collected from aspirants from 2014- 2019 on sale of forms he could not afford to give palliative and welfare to executives of the party during the last sallah celebration, but was squandering the party resources "

The embattled chairman told our correspondent on phone that, " the meeting was illegal, they don't have any constitutional right to summon such meeting, I am the person allowed by law to call any meeting

"Nobody presented any allegation before me nor was I invited to face any panel " he added before describing the action as " a kangaroo meeting" insisting also "that they didn't exhaust all avenues provided by the party constitution, aside from this the case they are talking about is still in court, they have only taken the laws into their hands

" I am still the chairman, the Secretary is still the Secretary and the treasurer is still the treasurer, nobody has removed us. We are all still  in  office ", he fumed.