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  • Politics
  • Updated: June 18, 2020

APC Crisis: How Three Chieftains Claimed To Be Oshiomhole’s Successor Within Hours

APC Crisis: How Three Chieftains Claimed To Be Oshiomhole’

Last night’s ruling of the Appeal Court upholding the suspension of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshimhole generated so much confusion today as three members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) laid claim to the chairmanship seat of the party within three hours.

To avoid leadership vacuum, the NWC had on Tuesday night named the party’s Deputy National Chairman (South), Senator Abiola Ajimobi, as acting national chairman in line with Section 14 subsection 3 of the APC constitution that states that: “The Deputy National Chairman shall act as the National Chairman in the absence of the National Chairman from his zone.”

But it was not until Wednesday morning that Ajimobi, who is said to be on admission for treatment of ailment suspected to be COVID-19, issued a statement, indicating that he had assumed office by that morning and that a meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party would be called soon to resolve all contentious issues.

Section 14(2) of the APC Constitution (2014 as amended) stipulates the duties of a Deputy National Chairman of the party among which is to assist the National Chairman in the discharge of his duties. In Section 14(2)(iii), the constitution states that, “the Deputy National Chairman shall act as the National Chairman in the absence of the National Chairman from his zone”.

On Wednesday morning, Special Adviser, Communication and Strategy to the former Oyo State Governor, Bolaji Tunji insisted that Ajimobi had assumed the reins of leadership in the aftermath of the order of the Court of Appeal affirming the suspension of the National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

Shortly after Ajimobi’s statement hit the newsroom, Deputy National Secretary of the party, Chief Victor Giadom arrived the APC secretariat at about 10am with a retinue of security aides, announcing a take over of party affairs. He was flanked by the Deputy National Organizing Secretary of the party, Muhammad Sani Ibrahim, a non-member of the NWC who has been seeking to oust the National Organizing Secretary, Emma Ibediro.

At a press conference at the APC national secretariat in Abuja, Giadom argued that a subsisting order of FCT High court delivered on the 16th of March 2020, by Justice S.U. Bature, ordered that with the earlier suspension of Oshiomhole, he (Giadom) should act as the National Chairman of the party.

He claimed that the order could not be immediately effected at that time because of the temporary reprieve Oshiomhole got from the Court of Appeal on the same date.

Gaidom however said having removed the temporary reprieve Tuesday by the Court of Appeal and considering the fact that the party could not allow leadership vacuum, he had assumed office as acting national chairman in compliance with the order of the court.

He also declared as invalid, all processes which led to the disqualification of Governor Godwin Obaseki from the June 22 APC primary election in Edo state, hinging it on a “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”.

Obaseki, who had been having a running battle with Oshiomhole, had announced his resignation from the APC on Tuesday following his disqualification from the upcoming party gubernatorial primary by the Screening Committee.

But in a swift reaction at a press conference after another emergency NWC meeting on Wednesday, National Vice Chairman (South-south), Hilliard Eta, said that 16 members of the NWC out of 21 had suspended Giadom. He stressed that the NWC met on Wednesday morning to take the decision, asking him (Eta) to act on behalf of Ajimobi who is reportedly indisposed.

Eta explained that Giadom had ceased to be a member of NWC because he resigned his position to contest as running mate to Tonye Cole in Rivers state governorship election in 2019.

He said that the NWC had reaffirmed the Ajimobi as the acting national chairman of the party and that in his absence, he (Eta) as the National Vice chairman (South-south) would act as national chairman.

The NWC also constituted the committee on Edo gubernatorial primary to be headed by Imo state governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, while the appeal committee is headed by Prof. Mustapha Bello.

The 16 NWC members who signed the statement were the National Secretary, Arc. Waziri Bulama, National Vice Chairman, South South, Hilliard Eta, the National Vice Chairman Southeast, Hon. Emma Eneukwu; National Vice Chairman, Southwest, Pastor Bankole Oluwajana; National Vice Chairman, Northwest, Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir; National Vice Chairman, North Central, Alhaji Suleiman Umar Wambai; National Organizing Secretary, Barr. Emma Ibediro and the National Legal Adviser, Babatunde John Kwame Ogala.

Others were the National Welfare Secretary, Alhaji Ibrahim Kabir Masari; National Treasurer, Alhaji Adamu Fanda; National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu; National Financial Secretary, Alhaji Tajudeen Bello; National Auditor, Paul Chukwuma; National Women Leader, Hajia Salamatu Baiwa Umar-Eluma; National Youth Leader, Alhaji Sadiq Abubakar and National Disabled Leader, Misbahu Lawan Didi.

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