He dismissed the suspension contending that those that purportedly suspended him are not members of the State Executive Committee of the party.
He said that some of them left the party and joined another party shortly after the primary election of the party adding that they do not have any locus to have suspended him.
“They engaged in anti-party activities that led to the failure of APC during the just concluded governorship election in the state.
“As I speak to you now, the National Working Committee of our great party has given me the order to suspend them indefinitely from the party. I will ensure that those behind the called leave them for good,” Ejidike said.
A faction of the party in the state on Thursday announced that Ejidike has been suspended as a result of insubordination and disrespect to President Muhammadu Buhari.
This is coming three weeks after the party lost the gubernatorial election in the state and the climax of the fall out of the fresh crisis occasioned by the face-off between the chairman and members of the State Executive Committee.
Spokesman of the committee, Bar Uchenna Okonkwo Okom said that the party had given the Minister for Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige 14 days to discuss the modalities for strengthening and repositioning of the party and for moving the party forward in the state.
According to him: “As a result of the refusal, neglect or inability of Ejidike to convene a meeting of the State Executive Committee of the party to tackle pressing and urgent party matters.
“Despite repeated statutory demands to that effect as stipulated by the Anambra state chapter to jointly convened a congress by not less than two-thirds of the members of the committee and not less than two-thirds of the twenty-one local government area chairmen with the mandate of the 326 ward Chairmen in Anambra state held in Awka on Nov. 21, attended by the ward Chairmen Local government Chairmen, members of the party across the state, the following resolutions were duly proposed and unanimously passed.
“That Basil Ejidike be and hereby suspended forthwith from office a
pending his appearance before a Disciplinary/ Fact-Finding Committee of the party.
“That the next most senior available official of the party in the state is mandated to convene an emergency meeting of the State Executive Committee in consultation with the Leader of the party in Anambra state, Dr Chris Ngige within the next fourteen days from the date of hereof to discuss the modalities for strengthening and repositioning of the All Progressive Congress APC and for moving the party forward in Anambra state.
“That Basil Ejidike shall be referred to the Disciplinary/ Fact-Finding Committee of the party in the state as prescribed by the All Progressive Congress APC Constitution to answer to charges of abuse of power and office, diversion and conversion of party property, flagrant sabotage, subversion and breach of party’s constitution, insubordination and disrespect to the office of the person of the President Commander In Chief is of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, embezzlement and misappropriation of party funds, among others.
‘Continuing the State Executive Committee said that a copy of its resolution has been forwarded to the National Caretaker Committee of the party and the Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee for immediate implementation according to the Constitution of the party 2014 as amended.”
