Withdraw Court Cases Or Be Sanctioned – APC Warns Aggrieved Members

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned its aggrieved members to shun dragging the party to court or risk being sanctioned.

APC National Working Committee (NWC) stated this in a statement on Monday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Lanre Issa-Onilu.

Recall that members of the party in some states like Imo, Delta, Ogun and Rivers are currently in court to challenge the results of the primaries.

APC described the growing trend of such legal actions as a ‘manifest indiscipline’, noting that the party considered it as an anti-party activity which goes against its constitution.

The party also said the members did not exhaust the internal mechanism for dispute resolution and therefore have displayed acts of indiscipline against the party.

The statement read: “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has frowned on the actions of some party members who have resorted to litigation as a way of addressing their perceived grievances and disputation without exhausting the party’s dispute resolution mechanism. The party views this as a show of indiscipline and anti-party activities.

“This growing trend is viewed by the party as a manifest indiscipline. The actions, it should be noted, is considered as anti-party as it goes against our party’s constitution.

“According to the party, Article 20, Subsection 10 of our its Constitution, offences against the Party include the following: “Filing an action in a court of law against the party or any of its officers on any matters relating to the discharge of the duties of the Party without first exhausting all avenues for redress provided for in this Constitution.

“We hereby strongly advise such members to withdraw all court cases, while approaching the appropriate party organs with a view to resolving any outstanding disputes. In addition to this, aggrieved members are urged to take full advantage of the reconciliation committees the party has just put in place.

“The Party intends to activate constitutional provisions to penalise such members as their action is capable of undermining the party and hurt the Party’s interest.”