Sirajo Dada, the recently expelled National Ex-Officio of the All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Bauchi State, has reacted to the action taken against him.
Dada described his expulsion as a futile exercise in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Sunday.
He went on to say that those who expelled him from the party lacked the authority to do so, so their actions were invalid.
WITHIN NIGERIA recalls Dada was expelled on Saturday by the executive council of the party in Gamawa Local Government chapter of the APC in Bauchi State.
The expelled officer is a national party ex-officio.
In announcing Dada’s expulsion from the party, Ahmed Saleh Super, the APC chairman in Gamawa LGA, accused the ex-officio of indolence, indiscipline, and betrayal.
Super claimed that Dada worked against the APC’s interests in the area during the recently concluded general elections, adding that the national ex-officio was caught campaigning for Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) candidates in elections where the ruling party fielded candidates.
Dada was allegedly caught at one of the polling units during the presidential and national assembly elections asking voters not to vote for APC candidates and soliciting votes for the PRP’s federal House of Representatives candidate.
The expelled official, on the other hand, has stated that all of the allegations leveled against him by the ward excos are false, baseless, unfounded, and unsubstantiated.
He claimed that their action was invalid because he had done nothing wrong.
Dada challenged those accusing him of anti-party activities to produce evidence and allow him to defend himself.
He said;
It is a lie that I engaged in any form of anti-party activities, how will I do that when I came all out to ensure that the APC won the elections? I am from Gamawa ward and the APC won in my PU and even in the ward, I delivered for the APC as expected.
If there is anyone who has evidence of my anti-party activities, he should bring it up, challenge me with it and I will defend myself anytime anywhere.
Speaking further, he denied collecting any campaign funds or material for the general elections, adding that he duly delivered his area for the APC.
Nobody gave me any campaign funds for the LGA, if anyone has any proof of such, let him or her make it public.
Don’t forget that the APC won the House of Representatives and state house of Assembly seats, can that be done if I had engaged in anti-party activities.
I am a bona fide, card carrying member of the APC, nobody can chase me out of the party. I don’t have anything to hide. I am waiting for them, Dada declared.