The crisis in the Taraba State chapter of the All Progressives Congress took a dramatic turn on Tuesday as the El-Suldi Ibrahim-led State Working Committee expelled Chief David Sabo Kente, one of the governorship aspirants of the party in the 2023 general election, over alleged anti-party activities.
The party also suspended the Senator-elect for Taraba South Senatorial District, David Jimkuta, for anti-party activities and recommended his expulsion from the party to the National Secretariat.
Addressing a press conference in Jalingo, the chairman of the party, Ibrahim El-Suldi, also explained that he remained the chairman of the party following the recommendation of the committee set up by the national secretariat to look into the purported vote of no confidence passed against him by some members of the State Working Committee.
“Sometime in July 2022, the executives of the APC Kente Ward of Wukari Local Government Area wrote the Chairman of the APC Wukari Local Government Area calling for the expulsion of Chief David Sabo Kente citing a series of allegations he committed against the party as enshrined in the party constitution 2022 as amended.
He said, ”The APC in Wukari local government on several occasions invited Chief David Sabo Kente to defend himself on the allegations leveled against him by the ward executives of the APC Ward but he refused to honour their invitations and abused them instead.
”On August 12, 2022, the APC Wukari LGA wrote a letter to the State APC on the above complaints. Having investigated and confirmed that all constitutional procedures of fair hearing and disciplinary steps were satisfactorily followed by both the Ward and Local Government level of the party in Kente and Wukari Local Government. The State Working Committee in its sitting on Thursday, April 20, 2023 exercised its powers under Article 13 (9) (iv) of the party constitution and ratify the decision of the APC Wukari Local Government Area.
”For the avoidance of doubt, Chief David Sabo Kente stands expelled from the All Progressives Congress and should stop parading himself as a member of the party henceforth.
According to the Chairman, the APC Fete Ward of Takum Local Government Area had on March 21, 2023, listed some offenses against the party by the Senator-elect for Taraba South Senatorial District, Jimkuta S.U. David.
El-Suldi explained that the APC Takum local government constituted a five-man disciplinary committee that invited Jimkuta S.U. David but he refused to honour the invitation.
The report of the disciplinary committee was submitted to the APC Takum local government who in turn expelled Jimkuta S.U. David from the APC.
“In line with Article 13 (9) (iv) of the APC constitution 2022, as amended, the State Working Committee sat on April 20, 2023, and ratify the action of the APC Takum Local Government Area with slight modification in line with 21 (5) (h), (ii).
“By this modification, we hereby suspend Jimkuta David from the party and recommend to the National Executive Committee his expulsion from the party for a plethora of offences he is found guilty of. Jimkuta S.U David stands suspended from the party henceforth,” the chairman said.
“While condoling with the state government and the PDP over the death of the member-elect for Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency Hon. Ismaila Yushau Maihanci, the party called on Governor Darius Ishaku to intervene by releasing Mr. Ishmael Yakubu popularly called Young J.P. from prison.
“The elections are over. If Governor Ishaku is asking for forgiveness from the people of the State, he should start by forgiving his perceived enemies. We call on him to immediately release Ishmael Yakubu (Young J.P) from custody.”
