Alleged Anti-Party Activities: I Have No Problem With Tinubu – Banire

The National Legal Adviser to the All Progressives Congress, Mr
Muiz Banire (SAN), has denied reports that he has fallen out of
favour with the national leader of the party, Mr Bola Tinubu.
Mr Banire has also criticised those seeking his expulsion from the
APC, describing them as political jobbers who know nothing about
the party’s constitution.

He disclosed this during a phone interview on Channels
Television’s Politics Today after shunning a disciplinary committee
set up by his constituency to investigate allegations of anti-party
activities levelled against him.

“As I am talking to you, no disciplinary committee has been put
in place by any legitimate group. Of course, it is a continuous
show of shame by those people that claim to be party members but
unfortunately they do not even know the colour of the constitution
of the APC talk much less the content,” he said.

“They lack the capacity in the first instance to even summon me,
assuming that they are members of the APC. If you have seen the
publication today by the authentic members of the APC in Mushin
Local Government, you will see that these are strangers, these are
political jobbers that are put together for a purpose.
Unfortunately, they are just wasting the people’s resources in this
regard. This is not the first one; they have just recently failed
in compromising the national leaders of the party.”

“Unfortunately, they are just wasting the people’s resources in
this regard. This is not the first one; they have just recently
failed in compromising the national leaders of the party.”

Members of Mr Banire’s constituency have held protests, calling
for his expulsion from the party, but he attributed this to his
insistence on transparency in the party and his opposition to
impunity.

Asked if his travails had anything to do with falling out of
favour with Mr Tinubu, he said, “I have no problem whatsoever – I
have not fallen out with anybody much less Asiwaju (Tinubu)
particularly. As far as I am concerned, Asiwaju is our leader; I
have no issue with him.

“Those people who certainly are not for the rule of law can
never be my friends. I am for the rule of law. It is as simple as
that.”

There have been several twists to the controversy surrounding Mr
Banire. One of these twists was the emergence of reports that he
had been suspended from the party, a development which prompted the
national leadership APC to issue a statement late July rubbishing
the reports.

Although the efforts to get Mr Banire sanctioned or expelled
from the party have continued, he appears unfazed.

“I tell you for free. If you are conversant with the APC’s
constitution, which I can even oblige you. You cannot even expel
anybody, not even the national body can expel a member of the
party,” he said.

“It is only the national convention that can legally even expel
anybody. That further confirms to you that these (those calling for
his expulsion) are strangers to the party.”

The National Legal Adviser to the All Progressives Congress, Mr
Muiz Banire (SAN), has denied reports that he has fallen out of
favour with the national leader of the party, Mr Bola
Tinubu.
Mr Banire has also criticised those seeking his expulsion from the
APC, describing them as political jobbers who know nothing about
the party’s constitution.

He disclosed this during a phone interview on Channels
Television’s Politics Today after shunning a disciplinary committee
set up by his constituency to investigate allegations of anti-party
activities levelled against him.

“As I am talking to you, no disciplinary committee has been put
in place by any legitimate group. Of course, it is a continuous
show of shame by those people that claim to be party members but
unfortunately they do not even know the colour of the constitution
of the APC talk much less the content,” he said.

“They lack the capacity in the first instance to even summon me,
assuming that they are members of the APC. If you have seen the
publication today by the authentic members of the APC in Mushin
Local Government, you will see that these are strangers, these are
political jobbers that are put together for a purpose.
Unfortunately, they are just wasting the people’s resources in this
regard. This is not the first one; they have just recently failed
in compromising the national leaders of the party.”

“Unfortunately, they are just wasting the people’s resources in
this regard. This is not the first one; they have just recently
failed in compromising the national leaders of the party.”

Members of Mr Banire’s constituency have held protests, calling
for his expulsion from the party, but he attributed this to his
insistence on transparency in the party and his opposition to
impunity.

Asked if his travails had anything to do with falling out of
favour with Mr Tinubu, he said, “I have no problem whatsoever – I
have not fallen out with anybody much less Asiwaju (Tinubu)
particularly. As far as I am concerned, Asiwaju is our leader; I
have no issue with him.

“Those people who certainly are not for the rule of law can
never be my friends. I am for the rule of law. It is as simple as
that.”

There have been several twists to the controversy surrounding Mr
Banire. One of these twists was the emergence of reports that he
had been suspended from the party, a development which prompted the
national leadership APC to issue a statement late July rubbishing
the reports.

Although the efforts to get Mr Banire sanctioned or expelled
from the party have continued, he appears unfazed.

“I tell you for free. If you are conversant with the APC’s
constitution, which I can even oblige you. You cannot even expel
anybody, not even the national body can expel a member of the
party,” he said.

“It is only the national convention that can legally even expel
anybody. That further confirms to you that these (those calling for
his expulsion) are strangers to the party.”