The All Progressives Congress has been thrown into a serious political turnoil over who to takes over as Acting National Chairman, following the affirmation of the the suspension of the immediate past National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole by Appeal Court.
After the Appeal Court judgement, APC National Working Committee (NWC) late Tuesday night announced that the party’s Deputy National Chairman (South), Abiola Ajimobi has assumed the position of Acting National Chairman in line with Section 14.2 (iii) of the APC constitution which states that: “the Deputy National Chairman, North/South Shall act as the National Chairman in the absence of the National Chairman from his zone”.
However, two Acting National Chairmen,
namely: Victor Giadom, APC Deputy National Secretary and Hilliard Eta, APC National Vice Chairman South/South emerged in a spate of one hour Wednesday morning.
Giadom, the leader of anti Oshiomhole forces who first assumed the position of Acting National Chairman said his emergence is based on: “a notice that on the 16th of March 2020, Justice S.U. Bature in suit no FCT/HC/M/6447/2020 had ordered that, with the earlier suspension of Oshiomhole, Giadom should act as National Chairman of our great party”.
According to him: “that Order could not be immediately effected at that time because of the temporary reprieve Adams Oshiomhole got from the Court of Appeal on the same date. However, having removed the temporary reprieve yesterday by the Court of Appeal and considering the fact that we cannot allow for a vacuum, I most humbly inform you that I have assumed office as Acting National Chairman of our great party in compliance with the order of the Court”.
Giadom cancelled the decision of the Screening and Appeal Committees of the former Chairman of the party on the Edo primaries, in strict compliance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that forbids anyone who is interested in a cause to be a judge in that same cause.
He directed all aspirants in the Governorship Primaries to report for a fresh screening between Wednesday and Thursday and called on all aspirants to remain in APC as his leadership would guarantee fairness and justice to
all concerned, adding that schedule and time for screening of each aspirant shall be communicated.
“It is a brazen rape on the Rule of Law and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the former Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to preside and select Committees in respect to the Governorship primaries in Edo State being a key player in the crisis in that State.
“Whatever role the former Chairman was given to play in that process by the APC constitution, it cannot override the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which governs all of us”, Giadom said.
He further directed that the Deputy Organising Secretary of AOC Muhammad Ibrahim should immediately resume office as the Acting National Organising Secretary in compliance with the judgement of the
Federal High Court in suit no: FHC/ABJ/CS/733/2018 which removed the former National Organising Secretary, Emmanuel Ibediro since 24th of September 2018.
Soon after, Eta who led the Pro-Oshiomhole faction to a press briefing at the party’s National Secretariat, Abuja said NWC at a meeting properly attended by 15 out of 21 members re-affirmed Ajimobi as the acting National Chairman of the party.
He said the meeting however, resolved that in Ajimobi’s absence, the National Vice Chairman (Eta) of the party from the zone of which the National Chairman hails from and in this case, the South-South acts on his behalf.
Eta disclosed that the NWC has constituted a seven-man election Panel for the Edo primary elections headed by Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma as well as election appeal Committee, chaired by Mustapha Bello.
“The NWC also noted order that was delivered in Port Harcourt in respect of the Rivers State Executive Committee of our party, the NWC is aware of the fact that the court agreed that Igo Aguma should held the caretaker Committee in Rivers State and the NWC as obliged and would obey that court order. We will all’s make plans in due time to have the Congress of our party from the Ward culminating at the state level in Rivers State.
“It is also noted that Chief Victor Giadom had resigned to contest as Deputy Governor of the party in the last election and that the party has no recollection that the South-south zone of the party had re-presented him.
Therefore the NWC has now asked the South-south of the party to present a member of the party to fill this position”.
