Anthony Iwuoma
The end seems not in sight yet for the crisis rocking the All Progressives Congres, APC, as the party former acting national secretary, Chief Victor Giadom on Sunday declared that he had taken over the running of the party from the national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.
Since the FCT High Court in Abuja upheld the suspension of the APC national chairman, the party has been mired in deep crisis. While some hail Oshiomhole’s ouster, others insist he remains the chairman, flaunting a counter order from the Federal High Court in Kano. However Giadom justified the emergency NEC meeting of the party slated for March 17, 2020.
In a statement in Abuja on Sunday, he disagreed with a notice in Abuja, dated March 7, 2020 and signed by Babatunde Ogala Esq., Mallam Lanre lssa-Onilu and Waziri Bulama, declaring the March 17 emergency NEC meeting illegal.
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Giadom said: “For the purpose of clarity and putting the issue in proper perspective, I wish to state that the decision to call an emergency National Executive Committee Meeting for March 17, 2020 was taken in strict compliance with the constitution of the party.
“It is on record that the erstwhile national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiohmole, has been suspended by a court of competent jurisdiction. The two deputy national chairmen are no longer in office. The next most senior party office should be the secretary general of the party.
“But as we all know. The erstwhile national secretary in the person of Hon. Buni Mai Main is now the Executive Governor of Yobe State. Hence, as the acting national secretary, I have the constitutional power to steer activities of our great party.
“By Article 14.4 (i) of the constitution of our great party, the deputy national secretary is empowered to act as national secretary in the absence of the national secretary and all the actions taken since the emergence of Hon. Buni Mai Mala, as Executive Governor of Yobe State are taken in my capacity as the acting national secretary.
“By article [4.3 (ii) of the constitution of the party being the acting national secretary, l have the power to issue notices of meetings of national convention, national executive committee and the national working committee of the party.
“This is the power I exercised on the March 6 and March 7, 2020, calling for an emergency national executive committee of our great party in line with Article 25 (B) (ii) of the constitution of our great Party.”
Giadom explained that while Article 25 (B) (i) of the party’s constitution stipulates that “the national executive committee of our great party shall meet every quarter of a year, Article 25 (B) (ii) provides that the “national working committee of our party may summon an emergency national executive committee meeting at any time provided at least 7 day’s notice of the meeting is given to those entitled to attend.”
Further justifying the notice given on the March 6, 2020, as fully complying with the provision of the constitution, he stated: “It is on record that the last national executive committee meeting was held on the 22nd of November 2019, which is about 4 months to 17th of March fixed for the NEC meeting, which itself is a breach of the party’s constitution.”
Giadom urged members of the national working committee to attend the emergency NEC meeting slated, as it would afford them the opportunity to address the party’s problems confronting the party.
“The meeting will provide way forward for the party, knowing that the national executive committee is the highest organ of the party after convention. As such, it cannot be shut out of its responsibilities, as provided by the Constitution of our great party.”
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Dismissing Bulama’s position who he said purportedly signed the document as the party’s national secretary, Giadom insisted that Bulama was never a member of the national executive committee or national working committee, “as his alleged nomination as national secretary of the party has no legal footing because it fails to meet the requirements provided by virtue of Article 20(l) (a) of the party’s constitution. He is definitely not the national secretary of the party.”
