The All Progressives Congress (APC) has threatened to sanction party members who failed to utilise internal mechanism to resolve perceived grievances before heading to court.
Such action, the party said, is capable of undermining and hurt its interest.
APC National Publicity Secretary Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu said in a statement in Abuja that the party was concerned about the membersโ action, asking such members to withdraw such cases in courts or face disciplinary action.
Several members of the party have taken it to court as a result of the outcome of the party primaries, which produced its candidates for the 2019 general election.
Some of those in court with the party include serving Minister of Communication Adebayo Shittu and his Niger Delta counterpart, Usani Uguru Usani, Senator Magnus Abe, Chief of Staff to Imo State Governor Ogumba Uche Nwosu and several others, who lost out in the power play during the primaries.
The statement said members, who have taken the party to court 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.
It said such members should take the warning very seriously as failure to comply with the partyโs dispute resolution procedures would be met with the disciplinary actions.
The statement reads: โThe APC National Working Committee (NWC) has frowned at the actions of some party members who have resorted to litigations as a way of addressing their perceived grievances and disputation without exhausting the partyโs dispute resolution mechanism.
โThis 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 partyโs constitution.
โFor emphasis, according to Article 20, Subsection 10 of our partyโs Constitution, offences against the party include the following: โFiling 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.โ
โThe party intends to activate constitutional provisions to penalise such members as their action is capable of undermining the party and hurt the partyโs interest.
โWe 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.
โAPC 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.
โWe, therefore, advise such members to take this warning very seriously as failure to comply with the partyโs dispute resolution procedures would be met with the stipulated disciplinary actions.โ
