Forces aligned with the factional acting National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Chief Victor Giadom, have concluded plans to convene an emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party.
The development, Vanguard learned, is a fallout of Monday’s meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and three governors, Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi, Simon Lalong of Plateau and Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa states.
The three governors are seen within party circles as opposed to the leadership style of the suspended National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole.
The meeting would hold tomorrow at the Presidential Villa as opposed to having it at the traditional “NEC Meeting Hall” within the party’s national secretariat.
However, only a few of the 120-member NEC have been cleared to be physically present at the Villa as others would be required to join the meeting through virtual means.
Also, the Inspector General of Police IGP, Muhammed Adamu yesterday ordered the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, command of the Nigeria Police Force to seal off the National Secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to avoid a break into the office of the Deputy National Secretary, Vanguard learned yesterday.
The decision which party sources said was necessitated by the need to ensure public order and safety in and around the secretariat, was largely as a result of an alleged attempt by the newly-inaugurated Deputy National Secretary, Barr. Worgu Boms, to access the office which is still occupied by the factional acting National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Giadom.
It was learned that on Monday, there were moves to get Mr Boms into the office which was at the time under lock.
Chief Giadom had sprinted to the office at about midday and stayed for nearly two hours before leaving.
“That incident happened yesterday (Monday). So, in order to avoid a possible clash today (yesterday) the police decided to seal off the premises, while the IG would meet with the contending forces,” said a party source.
The secretariat was, however, reopened at about 3:30pm, less than four hours after it was sealed.
The South South Zonal chapter of the APC had on Sunday, upheld what it described as the resignation of Chief Victor Giadom from the National Working Committee NWC, urging the NWC to confirm and immediately swear in the zone’s nominee and replacement for the position of deputy national secretary, Worgu Boms.
Boms was inaugurated by the NWC on Monday, following which he was said to have made attempts to occupy his new office at the national secretariat.
The South-South Zonal Executive Committee had noted that it was in receipt of an interim Court Order in respect of the suit between Dele Moses & Ors Vs APC & Ors, with suit number PHC/360/2020; dated June 19, 2020.
“The said court order restrained Victor Giadom from further parading himself as the Deputy National Secretary, Acting National Chairman and as a member of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the APC. The Zonal Executive Committee, therefore, unanimously resolved to obey the court order.
“That having considered and approved the nomination of Barr. Boms Worgu from Rivers State by the South-South Zonal Executive Committee, Barr. Worgu is, therefore, affirmed to be the new Deputy National Secretary and a member of the National Working Committee of our great party, APC.
“It is, therefore, resolved that Barr. Boms Worgu’s nomination be confirmed by the National Working Committee, NWC, and sworn in immediately, pending ratification by the National Executive Committee, NEC, of our great party, the All Progressives Congress APC,’’ the committee stated.
Emergency NEC
Giadom in his letter to NEC members said he was duly authorised through an order of court to act as National Chairman of the party.
“I, Chief Victor Giadom, having been duly authorized by court order to Act as National Chairman of our great party and to preside over all meetings of the NWC and NEC, hereby, and with the consent of President Muhammadu Buhari (who is the leader of our party) reconvene the NEC meeting that was earlier billed to hold on March 17, 2020, but was postponed.
‘’The reconvened meeting shall hold on Thursday, June 25, 2020. Venue shall be the State House, Abuja,” Giadom stated yesterday.
Constitutional breach
The emergency meeting, however, appears a breach of the party’s constitution which stipulates that, at least, a seven-day notice should be given to members before such a meeting is held.
Article 25B(i and ii) of the APC Constitution (2014 as amended) states: “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-thirds of the members of the National Executive Committee, NEC, provided not less than fourteen days’ notice is given for the meeting to be summoned.”
Reacting yesterday, the Senator Abiola Ajimobi-led National Working Committee, NWC, of the party, declared that there were no factions in the NWC, dismissing claims that a factional acting National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Giadom, has fixed a meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC, for tomorrow.
The Abiola Ajimobi-led NWC said Giadom had no locus to convene a NEC meeting.
Addressing a news conference at the NEC Meeting Hall in the party’s national secretariat, National Vice Chairman, South South, Hilliard Eta, who stood in for Sen. Ajimobi, said it was wrong to refer to 17 of 20 members as a faction.
He said: “It is not right to refer to 17 members, with 15 of them physically present and two who met with us physically as a faction. This is the National Working Committee NWC of the APC in Nigeria. I sit here on behalf of Senator Abiola Ajimobi as the acting Chairman of this party”.
No NEC
He restated the earlier position of the NWC on the status of Chief Giadom, saying he is no longer a member of the party let alone being a party official.
“If Victor Giadom is arranging a NEC, I believe that it is your responsibility as a member of the fourth estate of the realm to investigate his locus to find out whether he has the legal, the constitutional backing to be able to call a NEC meeting. As we speak, the membership of Chief Victor Giadom has been suspended by a competent court of jurisdiction in Port Harcourt this afternoon.
‘’Not only is he not a member of the NWC from today, his membership of the APC has been suspended. So, when you call him factional acting Chairman, we wonder why,” Eta said.
Acknowledges lifting of Oshiomhole’s suspension
Speaking further on the outcome of the NWC meeting which he said was physically attended by 15 members and two others who attended virtually, Eta said; “The NWC is in receipt of communication from the Edo state chapter of our party with regards to the suspension of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole both by Ward 10 Estako west local and the Estako west local government chapter of our party. We acknowledged the reciept of same and accept the lifting of that suspension.
No crisis in APC
“You said our party Secretariat has become a battle ground and I walked in here, I never saw bullets, I never saw guns, I didn’t see anybody in camouflage. So, our part Secretariat is not a battle ground and the police has released an information to the entire country signed by Frank Mba, the Force PRO.
“It is not true that our party Secretariat has become a battle ground.”
(Vanguard)
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