20th August, 2013
The national leadership of Accord Party, AP, has dissociated itself from a press statement purportedly issued by Mohammed Nalado on the crisis rocking Rivers state, stating that the said Nalado-led executive of the party has been sacked since 29 July, 2010.
National Secretary of Accord Party, Dr. Samson Isibor, who claimed in a press statement issued in Benin, that Nalado was impersonating, said the executive led by Nalado was sacked by more than two third of the party’s national executive council and national working committee over allegation of gross misconduct.
“For Nalado to want to seek cheap recognition and favour from the Presidency, he impersonated and issued a statement on the crisis purported to have emanated from us (Accord Party).
“However, INEC and the public are aware that ever since July 2010, the Mohammed Nalado-led national executive ceased to exist because they were removed from office by more than two third of the national executive council and national working committee members on the 29th July, 2010.”
The statement further claimed that their removal which was presided over by the chairman of the Board of Trustee of the party, Chief Augustine Maize, was done in accordance with the constitution of the party.
“They were sacked for gross misconduct and anti-party activities, including misappropriation of N92.8 million of our fund. Nalado and his cohorts were subsequently arraigned before ICPC which is currently investigating them. The same Nalado and his disgruntled clique bribed INEC headquarter staff with N4.5 million for them to be recognized.”
Accord Party, in the statement said the party like every other well meaning individual and corporate entity, had issued a statement advising President Goodluck Jonathan “to play a fatherly role by ending the crisis in Rivers State before it engulfs the whole nation.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Samson Isibor, who is also Edo State chairman of Coalition of Registered Political Party, CRPP, has said the Coalition has four serving members in the House of Representatives, and 10 members in the Houses of Assembly in Oyo, Anambra and Delta states.
Isibor was responding to allegation purportedly by a political party, Citizens’ Right Party, claiming that the Coalition was fraudulent in nature and operation.
“CRPP comprises the state chairmen of some political parties. We consider the utterances of the party as that of a drowning man looking on whom to hang on to for survival, having been deregistered by INEC,” Citizens’ Right Party had said.
—Jethro Ibileke/Benin