But should the NEC meeting hold as planned, The AUTHORITY can reveal that plots and meetings have been in top gear on the possible replacement for the embattled Adams Oshiomhole as APC National Chairman.
At a meeting convened by the Edo state Governor, Godwin Obaseki in Abuja, the APC South South stakeholders insisted that even at the removal their kinsman, the zone must be allowed to complete their tenure, which will end in June, 2022’
The meeting, which was attended by majority of the party’s leaders from the zone, which included 5 serving minister, 7 senators, former National Assembly members, zonal executive committee members, and several other South South APC leaders endorsed the NEC meeting for Tuesday, even as they endorsed the current Acting National Secretary, Victor Geidom, from Rivers State to be elevated to the position of Acting National Chairman as Oshiomhole’s replacement.
At the meeting of the leaders of the South South zone of All Progressives Congress which met on the 12th March, 2020, we deliberated extensively on the situation in the party and at the end of the meeting we adopted the following resolutions:
“That as a party, we commend our brother, the acting chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Victor Giadom for rising to the occasion by providing leadership for the party in this trying times. We fully support the convening of the NEC meeting on Tuesday March 17, 2020 as the NEC is the only recognised organ under the Constitution of our party to resolve this crisis.
“We insist that the party should respect the present zoning arrangement by retaining the Chairmanship of our great party in the South South zone, even in acting capacity.
“We also resolved that the most senior party officer from the zone being the Acting National Secretary, Chief Victor Giadom, should be confirmed Acting Chairman for the time being.
As we urge all our brothers and sisters from the zone to fully embrace the National Executive Committee meeting and not boycott the Emergency NEC meeting which has been slated for Tuesday March 17th, because, boycott in a democratic environment is always counterproductive.” Stated the Edo state Governor and convener, Godwin Obaseki, who read the communiqué of the meeting
The South South leader’s position was further endorsed by a Chieftain of the party in Rivers State, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, who also called for the appointment of the Acting National Secretary, Victor Giadom as the substantive National Chairman to lead APC to the next level.
Eze, who was a former National Publicity Secretary of nPDP, in a statement, issued in Port Harcourt, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for endorsing the March 17 emergency NEC meeting.
“The forthcoming emergency meeting of APC NEC should mark the end of the Oshiomhole era of brigandage and a fresh impetus for the change mantra that ushered in the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
‘President Buhari must have seen the need for this much needed new beginning when he endorsed the March 17, 2020 NEC meeting, thereby strategically saying bye-bye to Oshiomhole’s crisis-ridden reign.
“In setting the stage for the envisaged new beginning, it would be in the interest of the party to allow the current Acting National Secretary, Victor Giadom, to serve as the bridge between the reckless Oshiomhole era and the search for a meticulous substantive National Chairman to lead APC’s march to the Next Level.” He emphasised
But the position of the South South stakeholders on who takes over from Oshiomhole has been criticised by some members of the APC Governors Forum, who are also in the fight against Oshiomhole.
While some of the governors it was gathered however preferred that the position of National Chairman should move to the North West, with either the former Zamfara state Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, or the Deputy National Chairman, North, Lawan Shuaibu, taking over, others agreed that the South must be allowed to complete their tenure, even as they are not aligned to the choice of Victor Geidom. It was gathered that most of the anto Oshiomhole governors however preferred either former Governor of Cross River State, Clement Ebri or former Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma – Egba, to complete the remaining party of Oshiomhole and South South tenure
