• Friday, March 29, 2024
businessday logo

BusinessDay

More trouble for Oshiomhole camp as Buhari backs Giadom-led NEC

Adams

The political camp of the suspended national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, is on the verge of collapse as President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, backed the Victor Giadom-led National Executive Committee (NEC) faction.

Since Appeal Court upheld the suspension of Oshiomhole last Tuesday, there has been uneasy calm in the party’s leadership cycle sharply divided between the pro- and anti-Oshiomhole forces.

Sequel to the decision of the court, the pro-Oshiomhole group in the National Working Committee (NWC) interpreted certain sections of the APC Constitution and made Abiola Ajimobi, deputy national chairman (South), acting national chairman, but due reported ill-health, the same group nominated Hilliard Eta, national vice chairman South/South to be acting on his behalf.

Also, APC deputy national secretary, Victor Giadom, assumed the position of acting national chairman based on standing Court order and has gone ahead to convene a NEC meeting of the party.

While the pro-Oshiomhole faction led by Eta dismissed the meeting as illegal and unconstitutional, President Buhari on Wednesday indicated his willingness to attend the meeting and recognised Giadom based on legal advice.

Buhari in a statement by his special assistant on media and publicity said: “The President has received very convincing advice on the position of the law as far as the situation in the party is concerned and has determined that the law is on the side of Victor Giadom as acting national chairman.

“Because will always act in accordance with the law, the President will be attending the virtual meeting Giadom called for tomorrow afternoon.

Read Also: https://businessday.ng/politics/article/apc-national-leadership-upturns-fayemi-suspension/

“We urge the media to stop promoting manufactured controversies and to not give any further room for mischievous interpretations of the law on this matter.

“In addition to the President, the Giadom meeting will, hopefully, be attended by our Governors and the leaders of the National Assembly.”

Consequently, there has been an unusual calm in the Oshiomhole camp following the development as the APC national publicity secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu could not respond to calls and text message by our correspondent to comment on the matter.

However, a high ranking member of the party who pleaded anonymity confided in BusinessDay that during the NEC, the advice of the former national chairman of the party, John Oyegun, would be heeded and a caretaker committee would be appointed.

Oyegun last weekend called for urgent NEC meeting to institute for the party, “a Caretaker Committee whose main responsibility will be to arrange for a special National Convention”.

He also called on APC leaders, particularly the Governors and President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently bring a stop to the disgraceful and humiliating charade occurring within the National Secretariat of the party.