All you need to know about Gov's suspension by APC - El-Rufai

Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai of Kaduna State has been suspended by the APC for six months.

Ok, chill. This isn’t your regular suspension.

A faction of the APC in Kaduna State suspended El-Rufai from its fold for six months.

Here’s all you need to know about this bizarre political move:

1. There are two factions of the APC in Kaduna State—Akida APC and Restoration Group.

2. The faction which suspended El-Rufai is called the Kaduna Restoration Group.

3. The faction which suspended El-Rufai is led by Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi.

4. Hunkuyi actually represents Kaduna north central in the upper legislative chamber.

play Gov El-Rufai of Kaduna State was suspended by a faction of the APC that doesn't like his face (Punch)

5. Punch reports that those who attended the meeting where the decision to suspend El-Rufai was taken "were an aspirant during the party’s governorship primaries in 2015, Isa Ashiru; Chief of Staff to Senate President, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed; owner of Kaduna-based Liberty FM radio, Dr. Tijjani Ramalan; Senator representing Kaduna Central, Senator Shehu Sani; and his counterpart from the Northern Senatorial District, Hunkuyi".

6. The Kaduna Governor was accused of “anti- party activities and anti-human activities”. Whatever “anti-human activities” means.

7. El-Rufai was issued a query which he failed to respond to. He was also invited to show up before a disciplinary committee. Let’s just say he didn’t honour that invitation either.

8. The disciplinary committee wasted no time suspending El-Rufai after he snubbed them.

9. Chairman of the Restoration faction of the APC, Danladi Wada, read the statement which announced El-Rufai’s suspension.

10. “Gentlemen of the press. I welcome you to this important press briefing in the history of APC in Kaduna State. This briefing is sequel to 48 hours ultimatum/query and warning issued to the state governor to explain and defend himself against the allegations leveled against him which he failed to respond to”, Wada declared.

play Sen Shehu Sani was at the meeting where a decision was taken to suspend El-Rufai (Facebook)

11. However, the suspension by this faction has been nullified by a faction loyal to El Rufai.

12. Yahaya Baba-Pate, who is the acting secretary of the APC faction loyal to El-Rufai said the Governor’s suspension by the other faction is a joke that won’t stand.

13. Baba-Pate says his is the only faction recognized by APC party chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

14. Baba-Pate says El-Rufai’s suspension is therefore “null and void and of no effect,” whatsoever.

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El-Rufai and Sen Sani have been enmeshed in a long running supremacy battle in Kaduna. Sani had himself been suspended by a faction of the APC in the past.