Your Excellency:
It is with great sense of service and urgency that I write this letter to you as the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the All Nigeria Peoples Party.
Recently I was drawn to the news in the print and electronic media that I have been expelled from the party for 'anti-party activities'. I was shocked on reading this for three reasons.
First, there had never been any allegations made against me that I am aware of, neither was I given an opportunity to defend any seeming allegation spun by devious characters.
Secondly, as one of the flag bearers of the party, being the immediate past Chairman of the Board of Trustees, the mode and manner of my purported expulsion in the media without due process is very disheartening.
Thirdly, I personally delivered to you on 23rd September two letters
- congratulating you as the National Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the ANPP and
- my letter of interest to contest the 2003 presidential elections on the platform of the ANPP.
Consequently, as I am still very much unaware of the actual allegations that were made against me, I still count myself as a bona fide member of the ANPP.
It is important to note that I have contributed immensely to uplifting the party in the eyes of Nigerians both at home and in the Diaspora. I have never in my private and public life been an unfaithful member of any association, let alone a political party in which I have staked my personal interests and resources.
Accordingly, I request that you undertake at the highest level of the party to:
- Openly investigate the source/sources of the rumors which guided the decision to malign my person. The results of this investigation should be made public.
- Apologize to my person using the same forum that was exploited to disseminate my 'expulsion' from the party and Admiral Augustus Aikhomu (rtd) to make such an announcement.
- Rally members of the party, who have been disenchanted by this unpleasant and malicious decision, together by assuaging their fears so that our great party can continue to be cohesive as it was prior this unfortunate incidence.
Your Excellency, you would agree with me that this development would cast doubts in the minds of members as to the state of the party machinery and its apparent inability to offer succor and justice to all, especially if this unfortunate incidence, based on innuendos and rumors, is allowed to truncate the democratic rights of the immediate past Chairman of the Board of Trustees, who led with such dedication as to make ANPP a formidable political party in our great country and in the Diaspora.
I fervently believe that we can all work together to resolve this matter with resolution to ensure that all within our party shall be subjected to the same parameters of understanding, justice and fairness which they all constitutionally deserve.
As such, I look forward to hearing from you soonest since my determination to be on the party presidential primary in our next convention has not wavered. Together, we shall all make the ANPP the winning party in the 2003 elections.
FOR DEMOCRACY TO SURVIVE THERE MUST BE DUE PROCESS AND RESPECT FOR THE RULE OF LAW.
Long live the ANPP! Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.!!!
Yours truly,
Chief (Dr.) Harry Ayoade Akande
cc: Chairman, Board of Trustees, ANPP
All ANPP Governors
All ANPP Presidential Aspirants
All ANPP Senators
All ANPP Members of the House of Representatives
All ANPP Elders
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