Withdraw your cases from court or face disciplinary actions, APC warns aggrieved members

*Says Party has enough dispute resolution mechanism for all issues

Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned members, who instead of using the existing dispute resolution mechanism in the party went to court, to withdraw their cases or face discipline actions against them.

The Party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu on Monday, expressed dismay that the members resorted to litigation as a way of addressing their perceived grievances and disputation without exhausting the party’s dispute resolution mechanism.

According to the statement, all APC members are told to understand that “as a progressive party that operates on principle of change, it is not a matter of choice to keep to the rules.”

It advised “strongly” that such members still had the opportunity to return from court and avail themselves of the appropriate party organs with a view to resolving any outstanding disputes.

“In addition to this, the aggrieved members are urged to take full advantage of the reconciliation committees the party has just put in place”.

The statement said, “We therefore advise such members to take this warning very seriously as failure to comply with the party’s dispute resolution procedures would be met with the stipulated disciplinary actions.”

Read the statement in full:

“The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has frowned on the actions of some Party members who have resorted to litigation as a way of addressing their perceived grievances and disputation without exhausting the party’s dispute resolution mechanism.

“This growing trend is viewed by the party as a manifest indiscipline. The actions, it should be noted, is considered as anti-party as it goes against our Party’s constitution.

“For emphasis, according to Article 20, Subsection 10 of our Party’s Constitution, offences against the Party include: “Filing an action in a Court of Law against the Party or any of its Officers on any matters relating to the discharge of the duties of the Party without first exhausting all avenues for redress provided for in this Constitution.”

“The Party intends to activate constitutional provisions to penalise such members as their action is capable of undermining the party and hurt the Party’s interest.

“We hereby strongly advise such members to withdraw all court cases, while approaching the appropriate party organs with a view to resolving any outstanding disputes. In addition to this, aggrieved members are urged to take full advantage of the reconciliation committees the party has just put in place.

“APC members should understand that as a progressive party that operates on the principle of change, it is not a matter of choice to keep to the rules.

“We therefore advise such members to take this warning very seriously as failure to comply with the party’s dispute resolution procedures would be met with the stipulated disciplinary actions.”