The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has indefinitely suspended Fubara Dagogo, a prominent party member from Bonny Local Government Area, citing allegations of anti-party activities and gross misconduct.
The suspension, enacted by the Ward 4 Executive Committee in Bonny, follows Dagogo’s decision to initiate legal proceedings against the national APC. He approached a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to halt the party’s upcoming national convention. In his suit, Dagogo claimed he was unfairly blocked from contesting the position of National Vice-Chairman (South-South) despite paying a N5.1 million nomination form fee. He alleged the party failed to provide necessary documentation to validate his candidacy, petitioning the court to suspend the South-South zonal congress, recognize his eligibility, nullify any election held without him, and claim N100 million in damages over alleged marginalization.
Ward leadership, however, interpreted the lawsuit as a severe breach of internal party discipline. Richard Ibani, the Ward Chairman, announced the resolution was passed on March 16. The suspension letter, signed by Ward Secretary Donald Jumbo and 21 other executives, stated Dagogo’s actions violated specific provisions of the APC Constitution (2022 as amended), particularly Article 21.2 (I), (II), and (VII) on member conduct and party discipline. The committee accused Dagogo of persisting in actions that “ridicule” the party despite prior warnings.
The indefinite suspension takes immediate effect. The ward executives have urged the APC Rivers State secretariat to uphold the resolution and consider further sanctions. This internal conflict highlights the tension between individual members’ legal recourse and the party’s constitutional requirement to resolve disputes through internal mechanisms, a common challenge in Nigeria’s political landscape as parties prepare for critical national conventions.
