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APC Crisis Deepens As New Acting National Chairman Emerges
The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) appears not to be ending soon, as the National Vice Chairman, South-South in Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s dissolved National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling party, Ntufam Eta, yesterday, said he remains acting national chairman of the party.
Eta, who filed a suit in an Abuja Federal High Court, last Friday, seeking the dissolution of the party’s Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) led by Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, and reinstatement of the June 25 dissolved NWC, said the action was to validate his mandate given by the statutory organs of the party.
Speaking with newsmen, yesterday, Eta said that on June 23 and 24, 2018, he was elected at the national convention of the party as the national vice chairman, South-South for a tenure of four years, which he said would lapse by June 23, 2022.
He further said his claim to the apex office of the party was a product of the unanimous decision by 16 out of 21 members of the NWC at its June 17, 2020, to elect him the acting national chairman of the party.
Prior to the June 25 National Executive Committee meeting of the party presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, where the Oshiomhole-led NWC was dissolved, a leadership vacuum existed following a court order that affirmed the suspension of the former national chairman by his ward.
The absence of the Deputy National Chairman, South, Senator Isiaka Ajimobi due to ill health, further created a leadership crisis that saw then acting national secretary, Hon. Victor Giadom, also laying claim to the party’s leadership position before the dissolution of the NWC by the NEC.
However, Eta in a suit at the Federal High Court Abuja, last Friday, sought for the reversal of the June 25 NEC decision.
“I have approached the court to validate my mandate. Between 23rd and 24th of June, 2018, I was re-elected as the national vice chairman, South-South for a tenure of four years, which is to lapse by 23rd June, 2022. I was duly elected at the national convention.
“In the same vein on the 17th June, 2020, 16 out of the 21 NWC members elected me as the acting national chairman, and it is on the strength of that that I approached the country to validate my mandate because I am still the acting national chairman of our party.”
When asked why it took him five months to challenge the decision of NEC to dissolve former NWC and inaugurate the caretaker committee, Eta simply said: “I am a politician. I have to consult widely, give room to assess critical decisions taken before reacting.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.