The national leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC) has declared the purported expulsion of one of its chieftains in Delta State, Dr Cairo Ojougboh, by its Ika South Local Government Area chairman as null and void.
APC in a letter signed by its National Legal Adviser, Ahmad El-Marzuq, declared the said expulsion as null, void and of no effect.
Ojougboh was purpotedly expelled from the APC by its Ika South Local Government Area Chairman, Mr Hilary Ibude, in March 2023.
El-Marzuq said Ibude had no evidence to expel Ojougboh, saying his action was inappropriate because the crucial element of fair hearing was not given to him to justify the resolution to expel him.
He explained that by the provisions of Article 21 of the party’s Constitution, the right to discipline its members was subject to their inalienable rights to fair hearing.
The letter read: “The party is in receipt of your letter dated March 28, 2023 in respect of the subject matter.
“In your letter under reference, you attached the resolution of Ika South Local Government Area in Delta to expel Dr Cairo Ojougboh from the party.
“I have gone through the resolution of the chairman of Ika South Local Government Area approving the expulsion of Ojougboh from the party.
“It is my observation from the documents availed to the party that there was no evidence that the crucial element of fair hearing was afforded to Ojougboh to justify the resolution to expel him.
“Without evidence of compliance with the basic procedure of disciplining a member of the party as envisaged in Article 21 of our party’s Constitution.
“The expulsion of Ojougboh from the party would be null and void and of no effect whatsoever.
“Second, it is important to mention that the punishment of expulsion meted out to Ojougboh by the chairman can only be confirmed and ratified by the party’s National Executive Committee NEC.”
According to him, the resolution to expel Ojougboh from the party by the Chairman of Ika South Local Government Area ought to had been submitted to the party’s NEC.
