The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress says aggrieved members of the party will face disciplinary action if they refuse to withdraw cases against it in court.
The NWC gave the warning in a statement issued by Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, the APC National Publicity Secretary, on Monday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu; Uche Nwosu, brother-in-law of Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, and a governorship aspirant, are among the aggrieved party members who have gone to court.
The statement said: “The NWC has frowned at 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.
“This growing trend is viewed by the party as a manifest indiscipline.
“The action, it should be noted, is considered as anti-party as it goes against our party’s Constitution.”
Issa-Onilu added that according to Article 20, Subsection 10 of the party’s Constitution, offences against it included the following: “Filing an action in a Court of Law against the party or any of its officers on any matter relating to the discharge of the duties of the party without first exhausting all avenues for redress provided for in its Constitution.
“The party intends to activate constitutional provisions to penalise such members as their action is capable of undermining the party and hurt its interest.
“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.”
Issa-Onilu added that members of the party should understand that as a progressive party that operates on the principle of change, it was not a matter of choice to keep to the rules.
He advised such members to take this warning very seriously as failure to comply with the party’s dispute resolution procedures would be met with the stipulated disciplinary actions.
