Lagos APC bent on ‘sanctioning’ Banire — despite opposition from national body

The Lagos state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) seems bent on sanctioning Muiz Banire, national legal adviser of the ruling party.   

Banire, a former commissioner in the state, has been having a running battle with the leadership of the party in Lagos.

However, the disagreement reached its height in the buildup to the last local government election in the state.

Banire had accused stalwarts of the APC in Lagos of working against internal democracy and not allowing popular candidates to represent the party in the election.

His confrontation drew the ire of the top hierarchy of the party but the legal practitioner refused to back down.

One week to the election, Banire raised the alarm that his life was under threat. He also drew attention to a rally being planned by his opponents.

The rally eventually held at Alausa and the protesters who were from his ward told the leadership of the party in Lagos that they wanted Banire expelled.

A week after, APC executives in Mushin local government area announced his suspension over “anti-party activities”.

But the national leadership of the ruling party overruled the action.

“We wish to state categorically that the purported suspension is a nullity as the local chapter of the party does not have such powers to suspend a national officer,” Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the party, had said in a statement.

“According to the party’s constitution, such powers reside with the national executive committee (NEC) of the party.”

The politician had earlier described the suspension as an act of mischief and nothing was heard of the case in public after then.

But in a letter seen by TheCable, the local government executives asked Banire to appear before a ward disciplinary committee on Monday.

“The ward disciplinary committee of the All Progressives Congress, ward C, Mushin local government, Lagos state, hereby invites you to attend the sitting of the committee scheduled as follows and of such other time or times as the committee may determine,” read the letter signed by Badru Olaide, secretary of the ward.

“Date: Monday, August 14, 2017

“Time: 10am

“Venue: Mushin Sports Centre, Bishop Aggey Memorial Sec. School, Ilasamaja, Mushin Lagos.

“The business of the meeting is to examine, hear and determine the complaints filed against you by concerned members of our party.

“You may wish to attend with legal practitioners of your own choice and such witness documents as you may determine.”

As if to riddicule Banire, the letter said “interested members of the public, members of the press, domestic and international observers/monitors are expected to be seated at the venue by 9:45am”.

Among those copied in the letter were John Oyegun, national chairman of the party; Bola Tinubu, national leader of the party; Akinwunmi Ambode, governor of the state; Mudashiru Obasa, speaker of the state house of assembly and Henry Ajomale, chairman of the APC in Lagos

As of the time this report was filed, Banire could not be reached for comments as his telephone line was out of reach.