By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City
The Edo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) has formally disclaimed one Prince kassim Afegbua who has been parading himself as been a member of the party in the state.
In a statement by the party’s publicity secretary, Ogie Aigbe Vasco dated 20th, June, 2022, PDP said “Prince Kassim Afegbua, a former Presidential Campaign spokesman of our dear party, has long ceased to be a bonafide member of the PDP in Edo State.”
Ogie Aigbe Vasco said the party’s “attention has been drawn to the numerous media showmanship being put up by a former member of the PDP family in Edo State, Prince Kassim Afegbua in the past few days. Though it is his right as a Nigerian to air his opinions on issues affecting the PDP, but he should not do so with the carriage and comportment of a registered and bonafide member of the PDP.”
The statement further said Prince Afegbua was a member of the party in Edo state until he ran foul of the spirit of the party’s constitution through his numerous anti-party activities which necessitated his suspension from the party for one month on the 3rd of August 2020. “This suspension followed a recommendation from the executive of his Ward, Ward5 in Etsako East Local Government Area. He persisted in his anti-party activities into the gubernatorial election in 2020. Subsequently, a six-man Disciplinary Committee was set up to investigate the allegations against him.”
The committee’s recommendations, according to PDP Publicity Secretary, in the report submitted in May 2021, include but not limited to “That Kassim Afegbua has displayed gross disobedience to party rules and regulations as contained in PDP Constitution in Chapter 10 Section 58(1)b,c,f,I,m.”
“That until Kassim Afegbua appears before the various Disciplinary Committees, he is hereby expelled from PDP in accordance with Chapter 10, Section 59(1)(g).”
Edo state chapter of the PDP then reinterate that “Prince Kassim Afegbua’s expulsion from the party stands. He is not a member of the PDP Edo State family and should stop deceiving himself to be one.”