“APC Not Aware Of El-Rufai’s Suspension”

The leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says the National Working Committee will state its position on the suspension of Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai in due course.

APC national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said this in a chat with newsmen on Monday morning.

He explained that response to the development cannot be rushed as the national secretariat was yet to really know what happened.

“I have no details of the matter yet. You know it (suspension) occurred during the weekend”, Abdullahi said.

“Also, I was out of town. Before I can comment, I will need to study what actually happened. So, I can’t give the official reaction now”.

Asked if he would issue the party’s position in form of a statement, the spokesman replied: “It depends, what we find out will determine how we’ll react”.

APC party faction led by the Senator representing Kaduna North Central, Suleiman Hunkuyi, had accused El-Rufai of “anti- party activities and anti-human activities.

The Senator said if El-Rufai did not respond to the query within 48 hours, “the state working committee will sit down and deliberate.”

But in a statement on Sunday, the faction said the governor refused to honour the invitation to defend himself over the allegations levelled against him.

It resolved to suspend him for six months with immediate effect.

The statement said, “Sequel to the 48 hours ultimatum issued to the Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir Ahmad Elrufa’i by the Kaduna state working committee of the APC to give explanations and defence on the allegations labelled against him, the SWC under chairmanship of S.I.

“Danladi Wada on Saturday 17th February 2018 convened, resolved and do consider and ratified the findings and recommendations of the Disciplinary and Fact Finding Committee put before it in accordance with Article 21 (B) (iii) of the APC Constitution, to the effect that having the governor failed to respond accordingly, he stands suspended for a period of 6 months from the APC with immediate effect.”