…Sets up new Primary and Appeal c’ittees for Edo election
The ruling political party, All Progressives Congress (APC), is definitely in self-delusion at the moment following the affirmation of the suspension of its national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, by the Court of Appeal.
The NWC of the APC has, in the absence of Sen. Abiola Ajimobi, which its National Publicity Secretary announced earlier as its acting chairman, nominated Hilliard Eta as acting Chairman pending the recovery of Sen. Ajimobi.
Following that affirmation, two members of the National Working Committee (NWC) are holding unto the office as acting chairman, each with his measured strength of supporters from the 20 member NWC.
The crack in the National working Committee came to the fore, on Wednesday, as immediate past Governor of Oyo State, Sen. Abiola Ajimobi, was announced by the party in Wednesday as the Acting Chairman.
Members of the party were still processing the development when the Deputy National Secretary of the Party, Victor Giadom, bypassed all other higher offices of the NWC to announce himself the Chairman of the party flagging the Court Order of March 16 in the suit FCT/HC/M/6447/2020 by Hon. Justice S.U. Nature.
Amidst the claim and counterclaim, to the office of the chairman, 12 members of the National working committee filed behind the former Oyo State governor affirming his new status as the Acting Chairman of the All Progressives Congress.
The 15-man committee comprised of 12 physically present and three others virtually access maintained that the NWC stands with Abiola Ajimobi as its Chairman.
Sen. Ajimobi is believed to enjoy the support of majority member of the NWC.
National Vice Chairman South-South, Hilliard Eta, who spoke on behalf of the NWC, while being flanked by other members, said Giadom has no right of claim to membership of the National Working Committee.
According to Eta, Giadom had resigned his membership of the National Working Committee to contest as the deputy governor of Rivers State during the 2019 governorship elections and has not reapplied for the office of the deputy National Secretary which is now open to the South-South region to fill.
The new acting chairman of the party said this was the resolution of the National Working Committee’s meeting of Wednesday, June 17, 2020, done in line with the constitutional remedy on the matter.
Eta led the national working committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) also in its resolution constituted two committees on the controversial Edo State governorship election.
His words, “The meeting was properly attended, in attendance we had 15 members of the NWC out of 21.
READ ALSO: https://www.thexpressng.com/2020/06/17/offapoly-invents-solar-powered-anti-covid-19-machines/
“The NWC resolved as follows. We are aware of the court order of yesterday and in dealing with the matter we have resorted strictly to the Constitution of APC, because the Constitution is intended to deal with matters such as this.
“That in the event of the inability of an officer of the party, the Constitution is invested with the process of replacement and so according to the Constitution of the party, the NWC re-affirms the Deputy National Chairman (South) as the acting national chairman of the party.
“And in his absence, as also enshrined in our constitution, the National Vice-chairman of the party from the zone of which the national hails from and in this case, the South-south acts on behalf of Ajimobi.
“The party is running on a comeback. The Constitution of the party envisages that from time to time we will have this kind of circumstances, and because this is so, the Constitution provides us with remedies
“And following the ongoing Edo State primaries of the party, the NWC has constituted a seven-man election panel for the Edo primary elections that is scheduled to hold on the 22nd of June 2020.
“And the panel has these names. Senator Hopes Uzodinma as Chairman, Senator Ajibola Bashiru as Secretary, Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas, Hon. Ibrahim Sabo, Hon. Ojo Obioma, Hajia Amina Muhammad and Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye as members.
“For the primary election appeal committee, Prof. Mustapha Bello as chairman, Dr Kayode Ajulo as secretary, Hon. Umar Ahmed, Nasir Dundun, and Hon. Rasaq Mahmud as members.
“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 Hon. Igo Aguma should hold the caretaker committee in Rivers State and the NWC as obliged and would obey that court order.
“We will all 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 represented him.
“Therefore, the NWC has now asked the South-south of the party to present a member of the party to fill this position,” Eta said at the press conference at the party’s Secretariat in Abuja.
He called on aggrieved members of the party not to leave but remain within the fold as he emphasised that the days of selective obedience to the court order and other acts of impunity by an individual was over.