By Festus Ahon

ASABA—DELTA North senatorial district chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr George Okafor, has been suspended for allegedly misappropriating the last Christmas rice meant for members of the party in the area.

The suspension of Okafor, who was also accused of anti- party activities, is contained in a letter addressed to the state chairman of the party and jointly signed by eight out of the nine local government party’s chairmen in the district.

Meanwhile, Okafor, who spoke to Vanguard on the development, said he was yet to receive any suspension letter, adding that all the allegations levelled against him were borne out of mischief and malice.

The council’s party chairman also accused Okafor of allegedly collecting N10,000 from the council for transportation of the rice in the letter which was endorsed by six council secretaries of the party out of nine.

APC

Dismissing his purported suspension, Okafor said the party has a constitution, adding that councils’ party chairmen have no power to suspend a senatorial district chairman.

He said that those behind his suspension have since been suspended by their executive members and ward executives for allegedly misappropriating the 20 bags of rice and N250,000 that each of them were given for onward distribution wards during the 2016 Christmas celebration.

Chairmen and Secretaries in the letter dated February 6, a copy which was obtained,  yesterday in Asaba, alleged that the senatorial chairman short-changed the various council executives by holding on to four bags of rice from the allocation of each of the council.

Chairman of the party in Oshimili South Local Government Area, Ogbueshi Ben Onwuka, who read the suspension letter at the end of a stakeholders’ meeting in Asaba alleged that “Mr. Okafor is not fit to continue to pilot the affairs of the party in Delta North.”