Anti-Party Activities: Banire Shuns APC Disciplinary Committee …As petitioners testify before panel

Anti-Party Activities: Banire Shuns APC Disciplinary Committee

…As petitioners testify before panel

Embattled National Legal Adviser of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Muiz Banire, on Monday failed to appear before the disciplinary committee set up by the party in Ward C of Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State to adjudicate on allegations of anti-party activities and misappropriation of campaign materials and logistics levelled against him.

The committee had summoned Banire to appear before its sitting by 10a.m. at Bishop Aggey Memorial School, Ilasamaja, Mushin, to defend allegations contained in a petition written against him by two members of the party in the area-Mr. Olukayode Tunde Tolu and Mr. Ayodeji Adebayo.

As early as 7a.m., members of the party in the area started trooping to the venue of the sitting, while the members of the panel waited till about 11:20a.m. before commencing the business of the day.

In his introductory remarks, Chairman of the committee, Mr. Bolaji Abass, first introduced other members who included Laide Badru (Secretary), Wunmi Bewaji (General Counsel) and Mrs. Muinat Mustapha.

Abass said the function of the committee was simply to examine the allegations levelled against Banire by concerned members of the party, just as he assured them that the committee would be fair in arriving at its decision which would then be submitted to the Ward executive of the party for onward delivery to the local government and state executive of APC.

The Secretary of the committee (Badru) then called the petitioners and respondent (Banire), but while the petitioners were at the proceedings, Banire was conspicuously absent.

Badru later displayed copies of advertorials in two national dailies and evidence of receipt of courier letter inviting Banire to the sitting.

In his testimony before the committee, Olukayode said Banire had committed grievous atrocities against the party and had carried out series of acts of indiscipline, which must not go unpunished.

Also, Adebayo said it was such acts of indiscipline exhibited by Banire that caused Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) its electoral defeat.

According to him, "Party discipline and party loyalty made APC what it is today. Whatever the decision of the party is, it is binding on all members, and if a member goes against the party, there must be sanction."

In the petition, the petitioners are asking that Banire be suspended from the party and debarred from holding any party office as well as contesting office on the platform of the party for a period of 10 years.

They alleged that aside the fact that Banire had been continuously absent from ward meetings for more than two years contrary to Article 9 (2) (iii) of the party’s constitution, he has also been engaging in unrestrained media campaigns against the party, its organs, leaders and functionaries, a development deliberately calculated to embarrass the party and bring it into disrepute contrary to Article 9 (2) (I) of the party constitution.