APC Panel recommends suspension of Timi Frank

The five-member committee set up by the All Progressives Congress to investigate its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Timi Frank, has recommended his suspension from the party.

Timi Frank

It said in its report obtained by PREMIUM TIMES that Mr. Frank should be suspended because the APC was not a Father Christmas that should tolerate intransigence of members.

The committee, led by Solomon Edojah, was appointed by the National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, to investigate Mr. Frank’s alleged misconduct and anti-party activities.

Mr. Frank declined invitation to attend the panel’s sittings, claiming that it was a “Kangaroo court” set up purposely to suspend him and ultimately pave the way for a handful of members of the national working committee of the party to continue engaging in illegalities.

The panel said in its report, “However. Since the committee is not a Father Christmas it has no choice than to rely on the Prima Facie evidence tendered by the petitioner. Consequent upon which the committee hereby recommends as follow;

-That Timi Frank be suspended from the party forthwith in line with Article 21 D (1);

-The zonal executive committee should be recommended to the NEC for the expulsion of the Timi Frank from the party in line with Article 21 D (h) (i) and (ii).”

Reacting to the recommendation, Mr. Frank said although he was not aware of the development he would challenge it if it turned out to be true.

“Definitely, I am going to challenge it the process. I am not a small fry in the party. I have worked for the party even more than some members,” Mr. Frank told PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview Thursday.

“I hope what is happening to ANC in South Africa does not happen to our party. I have the capacity to do what Julius Malema is doing.

“Oyegun is trying to hide under the president to do what he is doing. We all believe in the party, we respect the party. The president will not support injustice, the president will not support oppression. I am not scared of any suspension but due process must be followed.”

The embattled APC deputy spokesperson said the panel did not make any effort to persuade him to attend its sittings when he declined its invitation.

He said, “The panel didn’t reach out to me and I wasn’t ready to attend their sitting. I respect the party, I respect the party constitution but it did not follow due process.

“I’m a national officer and therefore it is only the National Executive Committee of the party that can suspend me, not the National Working Committee, and not the national chairman.”

Mr. Frank’s has been having a running battle with the party’s leadership for several months.

After the party blocked him from succeeding Lai Mohammed as its national publicly secretary, Mr. Frank took to the media to pillory Mr. Oyegun.