APC Crisis Worsens, Party Prepares For Post-Oshiomhole Era

The All Progressives Congress (APC) appears to have begun preparations for life after the chairmanship of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
Staff and visitors to the party’s National Secretariat were taken aback when they noticed a change in the atmosphere at the party’s secretariat, yesterday.
For the first time since 2018 when Oshiomhole became the APC national chairman, the billboard welcoming people to the secretariat which used to have the portraits of President Muhammadu Buhari, and that of Oshimohole, now carries only Buhari’s portrait.
A staff of the party told newsmen in Abuja that “the changes were effected at 1:00 am today (Thursday). I don’t know who gave the orders or who paid for the changes but as you can see, only Buhari’s picture is on our welcome signpost”.
However, a Federal High Court in Lagos, yesterday, ordered that the meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of All Progressives Congress (APC), scheduled for next Tuesday must not go on without former Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, Waziri Bulama and Paul Chukwuma in attendance.
The court, presided over by Justice Mohammed Liman, made the order in a ruling which restrained APC and its officials from “disturbing, preventing or obstructing Waziri Bulama, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and Paul Chukwuma from carrying out their duties as acting National Secretary, acting National Deputy Chairman (South) and acting National Auditor of APC, respectively”.
Justice Liman made the order sequel to an ex parte application filed by the Lagos State Chairman of APC, Tunde Balogun, which was argued by his lawyer, Gani Bello.
Balogun, in the application, prayed the court to compel APC to recognise Bulama as the party’s acting National Secretary; Ajimobi, as the acting National Deputy Chairman (South); and Chukwuma, as the acting National Auditor of the party.
He told the court that after the three offices became vacant and were zoned to different geopolitical zones, Bulama was nominated by the North-East; Ajimobi, by the South-West; and Chukwuma, South-East.
The petitioner said the nomination of Bulama was ratified at the meeting of APC’s National Working Committee (NWC), on January 14, while those of Ajimobi and Chukwuma were ratified at the NWC meeting of March 4.
He said: “By virtue of the ratification stated above, the nominees have become members of the National Executive Council and are entitled by the constitution of the defendant (APC) to work and operate in acting capacities in their respective offices, pending their swearing-in at the National Convention of the party.
“In spite of the foregoing, the defendant (APC), acting through its officials and officers, particularly the Deputy National Secretary, has not allowed the nominees to perform their duties as members of the National Executive Council.”
He told the court that APC NEC could not effectively function unless Bulama, Ajimobi and Chukwuma were allowed to perform their duties.
He, therefore, urged the court to compel the APC to recognise trio.
After listening to the applicant’s lawyer, Justice Liman granted the prayers and adjourned till March 25 to entertain the plaintiff’s Motion on Notice.
But reacting, the Acting National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Victor Giadom insisted that the March 17 National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting would go on as planned, disclosing that the party was not in receipt of any court order directing it to allow some persons attend the said meeting.
Giadom, who spoke briefly with journalists, yesterday, after a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC), however, said the party would refer to its constitution anytime it receives the court order.
He said; “As NWC, we just had our meeting and this is just to inform the public that the NEC meeting scheduled for the 17th March will still hold and every preparation towards that meeting is in top gear. I want to use this opportunity to invite all NEC members to attend the meeting”.
According to him, “every member of NEC is prepared to attend the meeting”.
Asked if he was aware of any court order to the effect that certain persons must be part of the NEC meeting, otherwise it becomes irrelevant, Giadom said; “Not to my knowledge. We will like to see the court order and if that happens we refer back to our Constitution. We will take it up from that point.”
A Federal High Court in Lagos had earlier, yesterday, ordered that the APC NEC meeting slated for next Tuesday must not hold except a former governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi; Waziri Bulama and Paul Chukwuma were allowed to attend.
The court, in a ruling by Justice Mohammed Liman, restrained the APC and its officials from “disturbing, preventing or obstructing Waziri Bulama, Abiola Ajimobi, and Paul Chukwuma from carrying out their duties as acting National Secretary, acting National Deputy Chairman (South) and acting National Auditor of the APC, respectively”.