Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman of the APC will not be in attendance when members of the National Executive Committee of the APC meet in Abuja tomorrow to consider the way forward.
Armed with the order of a judge restraining Oshiomhole from parading as the National Chairman of the party, Victor Giadom, Ag. National Secretary who assured the Nigerian people that the APC would respect the position of the judiciary on the matter reportedly engaged stakeholders.
The outcome of the consultations, we have learnt, compelled the Ag. National Secretary to call a meeting of NEC.
The proposed meeting called by Giadom would be expected to hold tomorrow, the 17th of March, 2020.
Giadom’s decision to convoke the NEC meeting has been generating reactions within the party.
Among those who think Oshiomhole is a potential threat to the survival of the APC, NEC ought to meet to consider a replacement for the chairman who has been suspended from his ward in Etsako West Ward 10 in Edo State.
There are dissenting voices too.
A group of persons claiming to speak for the National Working Committee has urged APC members to ignore the meeting, saying the Ag. National Secretary has no power to initiate a gathering of NEC. In a statement signed by its National Legal Adviser, Babatunde Ogala Esq; its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu and its new Acting National Secretary, Arc. Waziri Bulama said:
“The attention of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress APC has been drawn to a purported invitation to an Emergency National Executive Committee meeting of our great Party slated for Wednesday, 17th March, 2020, which invitation is credited to Hon. (Chief) Victor Giadom, the Deputy National Secretary of the Party.
“The Party’s constitution provides that a National Executive Committee meeting shall be convoked as follows: Article 25 (B) (i) and (ii)
“The National Executive Committee shall meet every quarter and or at any time decided by the National Chairman or at the request made in writing by at least two-third of the members of the National Executive Committee provided that not less that fourteen (14) days notice is given for the meeting to be summoned.
“Without prejudice to Article 25(B)(i) of this Constitution the National Working Committee may summon an Emergency National Executive Committee meeting at any time, provided that at least seven (7) days notice of the meeting shall be given to all those entitled to attend.
Neither the National Chairman nor the resolution of two thirds of members of the National Executive Committee has directed nor made any request to summon a National Executive Committee Meeting of the Party.
But Giadom launched back, saying the trio were imposters.
His statement said, “The National Secretariat of APC had just intercepted a document being circulated in the Social Media to the undermining the notice of our NEC meeting of 17th March 2020 that was already announced.
“The notice being circulated was printed on the APC letterhead and signed by the trio of Babatunde Ogala, National Legal Adviser; One Lanre Isa-Onilu, acting as National Publicity Secretary and one Arc Bulama Waziri purported to be the National Secretary.
“We invite the Security Agencies to refer to Article 20 of our Party constitution as an attestation that neither Onilu nor Bulama are officials of the Party as they never went through any convention as required by Article 20 of the constitution which demands that they be democratically be elected. Even where there is consensus, convention must still ratify.
“Lanre Isa-Onilu was smuggled into the National Working Committee by Adams Oshiomhole in the same manner he tried to smuggle Arc Waziri Bulama last week after he was ordered by the Court to vacate the office and keep away from the Secretariat.
“They are both impersonators and should be arrested immediately.
“For all intent and purposes, the Nigeria Police is invited to request for list of National Officers from INEC as a confirmation of the fraud being perpetrated by the hitherto National Chairman.”
Despite the brickbats, many members of the party blame the former governor of Edo State for the crisis which is currently rocking the APC across the country.
They say it is time to set things right within the party.
Reports say the proposed NEC meeting has the backing of a great majority of APC Governors and other highly placed leaders who are vehemently opposed to the continued stay in office of the national chairman.
By the ruling of the Abuja High Court which is yet to be vacated, Oshiomhole remains suspended from the party.
What this means is that there is a vacancy and the APC constitution says such a vacuum should not be allowed to exist.
The Director-General of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, Salihu Mohammed Lukman, had earlier warned that sustaining the former Edo State Governor in the chairmanship position would cost the party dearly.
Lukeman praised President Muhammadu Buhari for remaining neutral, but said it was time for the President to get involved in the efforts to find a viable replacement for Oshiomhole.
He said it was imperative “to invoke provisions of Article 17 (vi) which provide that in the event of a vacancy, ‘the relevant party organ shall appoint another person to act in his place pending ratification by the National Convention or Congress.”
“The relevant party organ, in this case, may have to be the NEC. Given all the vacancies about six so far, National Chairman, Deputy National Chairman (South), Deputy National Chairman (North), National Vice Chairman (North West), National Secretary and National Auditor, who convenes the NEC?
“This is where the organising, consultation and negotiating capacity of our leaders will be tested. Combinations of majority of the remaining members of the NWC in consultation with President Buhari, Governors, other party leaders who are leading members of the National Caucus can resolve all these issues and convene the NEC to appoint an Acting National Chairman.