SUSPENDED chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Adams Oshiomhole has thrown his weight behind former Oyo State governor Senator Abiola Ajimobi as the authentic acting party chairman in his absence.
Over the last 48 hours, Nigeria’s ruling APC has been thrown into crisis after the Court of Appeal upheld a judgement suspending Mr Oshiomhole as party chairman. Under the dictates of the party’s constitution, one of its vice chairmen should take over and the APC national working committee (NWC) subsequently named former Oyo State governor Senator Abiola Ajimobi as acting chairman.
However, Chief Victor Giadom, the party’s deputy national secretary insists that he is the acting national chairman. Chief Giadom’s lawyer, Wole Afolabi, insisted that a court order of issued on March 16 by Justice Bature that his client acts as the national chairman following the then suspension of Mr Oshiomhole remains valid.
Stepping into the crisis, Mr Oshiomhole has asked Chief Giadom to put God first above his personal interest. He also asked Chief Giadom to put the overall interest of the party above his own, pointing out that it is his likes who caused the current APC crisis in Rivers State, which led to the state not participating in the general elections last year.
Mr Oshiomhole said: “I think my brother Victor Giadom, wants to take our party to the route of Rivers State where they created so many problems that as we speak today, we have a crisis. My plea with them is that they should put God first and put our national party’s interest second and put our democracy deep in their hearts and not try to use any externalities to destabilise our party the way it has been destabilised in Rivers State.
“Everybody knows, including the overall leader of our party, President Muhammadu Buhari, that we ought to resolve issues amicably as provided for within the constitution of our party. It is impossible for the deputy national secretary, who ideally is not in the line of succession, to assume the duties of the national chairman.”
He added that only the deputy national chairman or vice-chairman could act in his absence. Chief Giadom has not only declared himself acting national chairman but has also reversed the party’s decision to disqualify Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, who has been involved in a fierce battle with Oshiomhole over the last year.
