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• APC chieftains list alleged sins
There are indicators that the embattled national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may not regain his exalted seat any time soon, especially given his last-minute attempts to impose his lackeys on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party. Signs of the slim of chances of Oshiomhole’s return emerged yesterday, when the party’s Acting National Secretary, Chief Victor Giadom, announced that the emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting slated for March 17, 2020, would hold.
Giadom stressed the fact that since Oshiomhole made the pronouncement announcing the inclusion of former Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and Mr. Waziri Bulama as Deputy National Chairman (South) and National Secretary respectively shortly after the court ruling on his suspension, he remains the highest-ranking official of the party constitutionally empowered not only to convene the party’s NEC but also the convention.
In a statement made available to The Guardian, a chieftain of the party in Rivers State, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, contended that the very fact that Oshiomhole attempted to smuggle in new appointees into the party’s NWC after his suspension shows his devious plans for APC.
Part of the statement reads: “It is unfortunate and sad that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the outgoing National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), instead of addressing the woes he has brought to APC, and the issues that prompted some members to seek court’s intervention to oust him from office, is trying to hold at anything to keep afloat, by insinuating that APC leader, South-South and Minster of Transportation, Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is behind his unfortunate and current plights.
Checks by The Guardian revealed that although President Buhari appears to be aloof from the goings-on in the party, he actually bought into the argument of party stalwarts that, based on Oshiomhole’s alliance to a chieftain of the party with 2023 presidential aspiration, he (Oshiomhole) should be eased out to have a level playing field for all.
It was learned that Oshiomhole committed what some party stalwarts described as political hara-kiri by forum shopping for a favourable ruling from a Kano High Court, which was a court of co-ordinate jurisdiction with the FCT High Court that ordered his stepping aside pending the determination of the substantive suit.
“Again, the suspended national chairman also appealed the ruling of the FCT High Court and sought for a stay of execution, but there again, with an acting President of Court of Appeal, Hon. Justice M.B. Dongban Mensem, that was just appointed, do you think that being a woman, she would like to stain her shining records with a controversial intrusion?”
The Guardian learned that while the leaders of APC South-South caucus have thrown their weight behind the embattled national chairman, some elements within the caucus have started lobbying for a replacement to be selected from their zone. Deputy National Vice Chairman (South-South) of the party, Chief Hillard Ntufam Etta, had told The Guardian in an interview that the contemplation of the geopolitical zone is that if Oshiomhole has committed any offence that should warrant his removal, the zone should be taken into confidence and allowed to choose a replacement.
