By Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has suspended its Chairman in Rivers State, Sorlebari Sampson, for alleged anti-party activities during the just-concluded local government elections.

It said it would explore legal options against the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and other agencies of the government that conducted the poll for failing to ensure a free and fair electoral process.

The State Working Committee (SWC) in a communiqué after its meeting in Port Harcourt yesterday said the suspended chairman erred for endorsing the poll as credible against the general position of the party that the election failed a credibility test.

The communiqué was signed by the Publicity Secretary, Egila Luckyman; Secretary, Eke E; Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC’s) Liaison Officer, Richard U; State Legal Adviser, Victor Chukure; Youth Leader, Emmanuel Deinma; Welfare Officer, Ogbanga Sherry and Woman Leader, Irene Jumbo.

The SWC asked the party deputy chairman to assume the responsibilities of the chairman pending completion of its investigations.

Reading the communiqué, Luckyman said the suspended chairman traded off the party during the election for his personal gains.

He said: “In accordance with the party’s Constitution in Article 16 Page 45 on Discipline of Members, the State Working Committee of our great party hereby suspends the Chairman, Sorlebari Sampson, with immediate effect.

“The state Deputy Chairman, Ode Lawrence Egbagiri, is to take over in acting capacity pending

investigations into some weighty allegations levelled against him (chairman).

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“The suspended chairman endorsed the April 17 local government election as free, fair and credible, on April 19, which is not the position of the ADC.”

“Without consulting any organ of the party, he took up an appointment as the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Rivers State, a few days to the local government election.”

Luckyman said the suspended chairman also fielded members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as candidates of the ADC for the election, adding that the development plunged the ADC into disrepute.

He described the council election as a sham, noting that the rules of the election were undermined to favour the ruling party in the state.

Luckyman said: “We state for record purposes that the April 17 local government election in Rivers State was far from being free, fair and credible, as there were cases of no result sheets across the councils as confirmed by our party agents in the field.

“Even our candidate in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Bright Abali and his team peacefully protested and went to the Police Area Command in Omoku on the election day, seeking the right thing to be done, and in Degema Ward 16 Bille, election materials were returned to the local government.

“The party is collating evidence and will meet with its stakeholders to discuss and come up with a position to challenge the election at the tribunal, and take every step to seek redress against the appropriate authorities for extorting money from our party candidates, who spent their hard-earned money in obtaining nomination forms, tax clearance and campaigning, only to meet with a big shock of electoral fraud.”