Gombe, Taraba APC Suspend/Expel Senator, Senator-Elect For Anti-Party Activities

State chapters of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Gombe and Taraba States on Saturday suspended and expelled their senator and senator-elect over accusations of anti-party activities.

In Gombe the state chapter of the party suspended Senator Amos Bulus in a statement signed on Saturday by Moses Kyari, the state APC Publicity Secretary explaining the decision.

He said his suspension was based on anti-party activities which promoted his suspension by the Ward Executives of Bambam in the Balanga Local Government Area of the state.

“He (Bulus) was suspended for anti-party activities at the just concluded general elections,” the statement said.

He further stated that suspended alongside Bulus was Rep. Yunusa Abubakar, who represents Yamaltu-Deba Federal Constituency at the National Assembly equally for alleged anti-party activities.

He said their various wards had carried out their suspension following their anti-party activities during the 2023 general election.

According to him, Bulus was suspended by the Ward Executives of Bambam in the Balanga Local Government Area of the state.

“He (Bulus) was suspended for anti-party activities at the just concluded general elections.

“This came about as result of a petition written from his ward which caused a five-man committee from the ward to investigate and get to the root of the matter, about two weeks ago,” the statement said.

He said the state APC Executive Council deliberated and rectified their suspension.

Similarly, the Taraba State chapter of the party expelled senator-elect, David Jimkuta.

The expulsion was carried out by the Takum Local Government chapter of the party according to a circular signed by 21 out of the 27 local government executive members of the party.

THE WHISTLER reports that the Taraba State chapter of the APC has been enmeshed in crisis.

Jimkuta belongs to the David Sabo Kente’s camp and was struggling for the senatorial ticket with a member representing Wukari/Ibi federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Usman Danjuma Shiddi, who on the other hand belongs to the camp of Senator Emmanuel Bwacha.

Bwacha who decamped to the party a few months to the general elections allegedly divided the party as the “old members” were unhappy that he was given the governorship ticket of the party.

Members of his camp also were up in arms against some old members like Kente, who has huge associates and supporters.

Ahead of the election, Jimkuta had dragged Usman Danjuma Shiddi where he was eventually declared the authentic senatorial candidate of the party following his successes at the appellate and supreme courts.

But the Bwacha camp vowed to fight on and on Saturday accused the senator-elect of gross anti-party activities in a letter dated April 7th, 2023 signed by the party’s council chairman, Hon. Sirajo Sallau.

According to the letter, “The Takum Local Government executive committee of our party, after due deliberation of the report of the disciplinary committee set up to investigate allegations of gross anti-party activities against Hon. Jimkuta David as provided under article 21(B) (i) -(vi) of the All Progressives Congress, as recommended by the disciplinary committee found Jimkuta guilty of the allegations.

“The anti-party activities forming the bases of this action include; sponsorship and openly campaigning for a rival political party, the People’s Democratic Party in Taraba state and its governorship candidate.

“Open express and tacit denunciation of the All Progressives Congress and its governorship candidate and open canvassing of votes for the Peoples Democratic Party and its governorship candidate.”

But in a swift reaction, Jimkuta said “Those who signed the purported expulsion document are not members of the party. So, I don’t care.”