Coup against Paul Ayah, fired from own party

In what looks like a coup, People’s Action Party national Chairman, Paul Ayah Abine, was Wednesday March 9 fired from his own party. But Ayah came out swinging, insisting that he remains chairman. The officials red him have also changed the name of the party to Popular Action Party, PAP.

Ayah was relieved from his position of national chairman of the People’s Action Party shortly after an extra ordinary executive committee meeting of the party in Kumba.

“We wish to inform PAP members, supporters and admirers that Hon. Ayah Paul Abine is the current National President of Popular Action Party, formerly known as People’s Action Party.

“Let it be known that, in a recent National Council Meeting of PAP, People’s Action Party was renamed Popular Action Party – PAP – and its National President, Hon. Ayah Paul Abine, was given a mandate of not more than six months to call a meeting of PAP National Council to elect the national officials of the party. We have since notified the appropriate quarters about the change in the status of PAP as by-laws require,” an official statement issued by Ayah on Thursday March 10, reads in part.

On Wednesday, a conclave was staged at the party’s national secretariat and it culminated in a press conference during which the bombshell was made public.

According to the organizers of the meeting, Mukwelle Albert Ngoh, who previously occupied the position of Vice Chairman, will assume leadership as acting chairman of PAP.

Reading through a release signed by the acting chairman, Ekambi Mukwelle Alphonse, Secretary General of PAP, said the contract between Ayah Paul and PAP was to last for five years. Ekambi stated that, from January 22, 2011 when the party endorsed Ayah as chairman till January 22, 2016, the contract expired.

In what he termed an x-ray of Ayah’s five year leadership at the helm of PAP, Ekambi accused the one time presidential candidate of uncooperative management of the party. Ekambi told reporters that, Ayah Paul hijacked the management of the party and failed to collaborate with the national secretariat as per the constitution of the party.

Ekambi further stated that the former Member of Parliament has been reluctant to convene major meetings of the party. He disclosed that, from the time Ayah became a member of PAP, till date, he has been reluctant to serve the National Secretariat with a copy of his resignation letter from the CPDM party.

To the organisers, from the date of the announcement, the Supreme Court Advocate General ceases to represent the party in any capacity that warrants the leadership of PAP.

From 2011 till date, Ekambi and the Acting National Chairman, Mukwelle Albert averred that PAP has been managed single highhandedly by Ayah Paul without any proper coordination. To them, the constitution of the party states unequivocally that Kumba is the national head quarters of PAP. They said contrary to that, Ayah has within two years changed the constitution of PAP single handedly twice and relocated the party’s national secretariat to Buea.

On the financial records of the party, the duo said there is incoherence as regards how the finances of the party were managed during Ayah’s term of office.

According to the acting chairman, “PAP has been a one man show. I was vice chairman only on paper. Ayah made himself the only signatory to the amended constitution.

The acting chair said in the meantime, PAP will have an acting executive during which there will be an overhaul of its basic structures nationwide.

Besides other documentary evidence, the party scribe showed reporters confidential correspondences they have been addressing to Ayah Paul requesting audience on pertinent issues affecting the party. They cited instances during which Ayah has attended high level meetings alone without the knowledge of the vice chairman nor the scribe of the party. They cited a meeting the Supreme Court advocate general had with Cardinal Tumi in the name of PAP but went there alone.

So far, Ayah has called on the author(s) of the information to get ready to substantiate their charges against him before the courts.

The Cameroon Journal was reliably informed that the organisers of the ordinary executive committee meeting of PAP which sanctioned Ayah’s dismissal were sponsored by some Meme elite, though we could not immediately ascertain who the elites are.