House of Representatives Deputy Chief Whip, Pally Iriase, has been expelled from the All Progressives Congress (APC) for alleged anti-party activities.
His expulsion which was carried out by his Owan East Local Government Area of the party, was contained in a letter signed by Zuberu Kasimu Shabah and Theophilus Aigboje, chairman and secretary of the party in the council, respectively.
The party alleged that Ward eight and nine executives of the APC in the local government, defected to the PDP on the orders of Iriase, and that he, in addition, allegedly presented his personal assistant, Hilary Ozogo, to contest under the PDP platform, just as he refused to attend APC meetings.
In the letter addressed to the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole through the Edo APC state Chairman, Anselm Ojezua, Owan East APC said it ratified the decision of members in Ward nine, to expel Iriase.
The party said it complied with all laid-down rules and procedures, as enshrined in Article 21 of the APC constitution, in reaching the conclusion to suspend Iriase.
“I humbly invite Mr. Chairman to kindly note the decision of the Owan East chapter of the APC and grant it the very urgent attention it requires.
“The APC leadership and members in Owan East have already moved forward without Pally Iriase as we are growing in numbers everyday. This will be evident in the results we will post in the forthcoming elections.
“Iriase refused to officially inform the APC of his defection because he wants to continue to enjoy the benefit of the office of the deputy chief whip,” the Owan East local government APC further alleged. Iriase represents Owan Federal Constituency. He was a former secretary to the Edo State Government, a former local government chairman and a former deputy speaker of the House of Assembly.
Last Saturday, during the burial of his father, Iriase told newsmen that he is under pressure to leave the APC but that he is calm and focused and would remain in the party.
“I have made my direction politically very clear. I am not contesting in 2019. I am a member of the APC. People who do not want to be in the APC have left.”
______
Follow us on Twitter at @thesignalng
Copyright 2018 SIGNAL. Permission to use portions of this article is granted provided appropriate credits are given to www.signalng.com and other relevant sources.
