By; SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri
The Borno State Chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC) has confirmed the suspension letter served Hon. Barrister Mohammed Umara Kumalia from being a card carrying member of the party, following his alleged involvement in anti-party activities.
In a swift reaction to a purported letter of reaction to his suspension from the party, in which Kumalia claimed to have resigned since March 2022 from being a card carrying member of the APC.
The Borno APC in a letter addressed to Hon. Kumalia and signed by its Publicity Secretary, Hon Makinta Zarami which was made available to our correspondent on Wednesday, insisted that the ruling APC has not received any letter from Hon. Kumalia, alleging that the letter of resignation signed on behalf of Kumalia which is circulating in the social media was not only backdated, but fake claims, far from the truth.
The letter reads, “RE: SUSPENSION OF HON. KUMALIA FROM APC. Our attention was drawn to a letter dated the 9th day of August, 2022 signed by you (Hon. Mohammed Kumalia) in response to the above captioned subject, copied to the State Chairman of the party as circulated in the social media.
“1. The All Progressives Congress APC Borno State Chapter wish to clearly state on record that the letter dated the 8th day of August, 2022 and signed by Mohammed Kagu (Secretary) of Limanti Ward is authentic and same has the endorsement of the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party.
“2. Your purported letter of resignation dated the 21st day of March, 2022 was not received by the party in either the Ward, Local Government or State Secretariats of the party, hence it is an afterthought on your part to cover up your deficiencies.
“3. The party further states that you remain suspended from the party on all the allegations contained in the letter of suspension from Limanti Ward.” Zarami stated.
New Nigerian Newspapers learnt that, Kumalia, a former Minority Leader at the lower chamber of the National Assembly, was a stalwart of the APC after he dumped the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He (Kumalia) aspired as governor on the platform of the APC, but was defeated hands down by the incumbent governor Babagana Zulum in 2018 primaries.
Thereafter, Kumalia instituted various actions against the party in various courts such as Federal High Court Maiduguri: Suit No. FHC/MG/CS/8/2019, Court of Appeal Jos Division: Appeal No. CA/J/174/2019 and Supreme Court of Nigeria: Appeal No. SC/797/2019, but all to no avail.
These court actions by Kumalia according to investigations, were contrary to Article 21 (2) (XI) of the APC Constitution 2022 as amended
It would be recalled that, on Monday August 8, 2022, a letter of Kumalia’s suspension which was signed by the APC Secretary of Limanti Ward, Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC), Mohammed Kagu went viral in Conventional and Social Media platforms, but in what could be described as a defence, Hon Kumalia on Tuesday, issued a press statement, distancing himself from the letter, claiming that he had since tendered his resignation letter to the authorities of the APC since March 21, 2022.
