The National Executive Committee (NEC) of The All Nigerian People's Party (ANPP) on Wednesday, October 9th, 2002, in Abuja purportedly announced the expulsion from the party, Chief Harry A. Akande, for what the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, described as "anti-party" activities.
We wish to state categorically that we reject this perverse and pernicious decision in all its entirety and condemn the cheap attempt to stop Chief Akande's popular ambition to clinch the presidential ticket of the ANPP.
We are completely at a loss on the basis of this decision, which is unjust and unwise. It is common knowledge in political circles that Chief Akande is one of those who worked tirelessly to build the party and engineered it into centrality in the transition politics, which produced the current Republic.
It is also common knowledge that Chief Akande is one of the greatest movers for the consolidation of party's fortunes, in the task of upstaging their main rival party, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in the upcoming elections. Chief Akande has used his talents, contacts, resources - both mental and material - to help raise the profile and fortunes of the ANPP party. In all this, Chief Akande has been guarded by paramount party interest and patriotic fervor.
The grounds on which this purported expulsion is premised is what is described by Aikhomu as "anti-party" activity, for which Chief Akande was supposed to have been expelled by the Oyo State branch of the party. This claim is absolutely without ground.
It is insinuated that Chief Akande is fraternizing with the Alliance for Democracy and Afenifere and the ruling party, the PDP. It is also being said that Chief Akande was against the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Sokoto State Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
We find these allegations spurious and insulting. As regards to AD/Afenifere, it is not a secret that Chief Akande has always advocated for a working understanding between the AD and ANPP. Moreover, Chief Harry Akande is the acknowledged author of the AD/APP Alliance that raised a very credible candidate in the last Presidential Elections.
Chief Akande did all that was possible to leverage the victory of the alliance at the polls. Since then, he has always advocated for an alliance that would be strong enough to ensure victory against the ruling PDP. Even in Chief Akande's letter of declaration of interest in the presidential ticket of the ANPP, he stated clearly that he would want an alliance of all the parties against the PDP. If he could state this in his letter to the party, where then would this "anti-party" activity that pronounces "fraternization" with AD come from? Has the party annulled any move towards an understanding with other parties to trounce the PDP? When did meeting with political leaders from one's area in the search for a solution to the crisis in Nigeria become "anti-party activities"?
The allegation regarding a relationship with the PDP is perhaps the most unfair and insulting of the allegations. It is common knowledge that the PDP government and its leadership have done all that they can in injuring Chief Harry Akande's business interests. This has been a subject of many press stories in the past. Chief Akande's opposition to President Obasanjo and his party is a subject of regular media interviews that he has had. Only the deaf or the blind would claim not to have heard or read this. And we believe Chief Akande has been very consistent on this.
Chief Harry Akande also sent a letter of congratulation to Governor Bafarawa over his appointment as the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee. Again, the Chief had been Chairman of the Board of Trustees and had to relinquish the post to vie for the party's presidential ticket. Why then would he be unhappy with both men occupying the respective positions? This action is clearly a betrayal of trust by Bafarawa and Aikhomu.
Chief Akande does not have to operate through any person or group of persons in the party. Furthermore, he has confirmed that he does not know, neither could he recognize some of the people who took the party to court to stop the Caretaker Committee. Why then is Chief Akande being accused along with them? The ANPP National Executive Committee did not even have the courtesy to ask their immediate former Chairman of the Board of Trustees, to respond to the allegations, let alone defend himself, as is the practice in every civilized context. Where and when did the state chapter of the party expel him?
Chief Harry Akande has built a solid reputation over so many years. No one can rubbish this reputation on the platter of cheap and shameful political expediency. Everyone knows both in Nigeria and abroad that Chief Akande has done a lot in the last three years to propagate the ideals of the ANPP. He has more than any other person in the party, taken the party's name abroad so as to recruit the teeming Nigerians abroad into the party. He has spent his fortune to help build the party.
This move is clearly that of enemies of democracy who have sworn to ensure that they weaken and then destroy the democratic apparatus put painstakingly into place in Nigeria. We are strong believers in national unity and have said so on many occasions and worked hard in ensuring the triumph of national ethos in Nigeria. We are worried that this move, if not nipped in the bud, may be the making of another June 12. Clearly, it is the attempt of some anti-democratic forces to seize hold of a major party in truncating democracy.
We say with all the powers at our disposal, that this decision is objectionable, unreasonable, unjust, perverse, even irresponsible, and we reject it firmly.
We affirm that along with Chief Akande, we will fight it with all the vigor that it deserves. It is the design of darkness, and our light shall triumph over it, in the name of God.
Signed by Mr. Lekan Aina,
Committee of Friends, Lagos
Guides
