The Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) has announced the suspension of Dr Frederick Fasheun as its National chairman.
The leadership crisis in the Party took a new dimension, yesterday in Abuja, during the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of senior members of the party, when the embattled chairman of the party, Dr Fredick Fasheun was suspended and Dr. Manzo Abubakar, the Deputy National Chairman of the party was made the Acting Chairman.
According to Alhaji Bari Salau, the UPN’s National Publicity Secretary, the suspension of Fasheun was due to indications, which did not augur well for the unity of the party. The decision was announced by a communiqué at the end of the party’s meeting.
While reading the communiqué, Alhaji Salau said, “After considering all these misdeeds of Dr. Frederick Fasheun, NEC members resolved to put the National Chairman on indefinite suspension by a vote of 27 against 1.”
“The NEC then resolved that Dr. Manzo Abubakar, the Deputy National Chairman should take the position of Acting Chairman of the party. By this action the members of our NEC (have) firmly established that the Unity Party of Nigeria shall not condone indiscipline in the party, no matter how highly placed the culprit of gross violation of the party constitution is”.
The party leadership problem began after the harmonization of the caretaker committee after discrepancies occurring from the differences from the NEC list and Fasheun’s list in 11 states arose, which was amicably settled.
The NEC had then mandated 36 states to form caretaker committees. However, Akwa-Ibom State and Benue State failed to reach a consensus over their choice of caretaker chairman after which Fasheun was said to have ordered for adjournment of the meeting. This did not augur well with the other party members, who were said to have insisted that the meeting continues, as there were other important matters to be discussed.
Fasheun was said to have walked out of the meeting after which some men disrupted meeting proceedings. Dr Tunji Olateju, the National Organizing Secretary for the UPN from Lagos State then moved a motion for permission to continue the NEC meeting, without the chairman.
Owing to Fasehun’s conduct, the deputy national organizing secretary of the party, Honorable Mohammed Hari then moved another motion for Fasehun’s suspension, which was adopted by most members of the party with a ratio of 27 to 1.
Fasheun’s deputy, Dr Abubakar Manzo was then adopted as acting chairman of the party, after which Mr Adekunle Oshinoiki and Prince Shoye Adenuga were chosen as caretaker chairmen of Lagos and Ogun States.
