…Nabena takes over as Acting NPS
By Ezeocha Nzeh
Aggrieved stakeholders at the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may have returned to the yrebches, barely one week after relative peace had returned as a Federal High Court in Sokoto has sacked the ;party’s national Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa – Onilu over his alleged emergence without a national convention
This is even as stakeholders have rejected the inclusion of former Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, and Wazii Bulama, as well as Paul Chukwuma as members of the APC National Working Committee
The A{PC hd on March announce Ajimobi as the Deputy National Chairman, South, while Bulama and Chukwuma were announced as Acting National Secretary and AScting National Auditor re4spectively.
Both Ajimobi and Chukwuma were present at the party’s last NWC meeting, which was held a day after an Appeal Court had bvacated the High Court suspension of of National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, while Bulama was said to have stayed away from the meeting following strong rejection of his nomination by some party stakeholders, including NWC members
It was further learnt the some NWC member had also rejected the extension of invitation for the meeting to both Ajimoibi and Chukwuma for the meeting, arguing that their inclusion in the NWC was contrary to the provision of the party’s constitution, which spelt it out that NWC member can only emerge through a party convention
The NWC member, who confirmed to The AUTHORITY their rejection of the two officers at the NWC meeting noted that while they were not against them joining the NWC, they must come through the recognised APC convention. They thereforeadvised that both Ajkimobi and Chukwuma must follow up and convince their zone to conduct a mini convention, where they would emerge constitutionally as NWC members, adding that the APC constitution does not allow endorsement from an individual
“We frowned at the manner in which they emerged and complained this at the last NWC meeting. It was however agreed that they would go back to their various zone and do the needful, which is a party convention, where they would be elected as NWC members,” a member of the NWC who preferred anonymity told The AUTHORITY at the weekend
Meanwhile, Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Yekini Nabena said on Sunday that will act in place of Onilu as the APC National Publicity Secretary, pending when he vacates a court order that has banned him from parading himself as APC National Publicity Secretary
A High Court sitting Sokoto State had last week given an order restraining Onilu from acting as the National Publicity Secretary of APC.. Onilu was dragged to the Court by the formerly suspended National Vice Chairman North West, Alhaji Inuwa Abdul-Kadir.
Abdul-Kadir had dragged Onilu to court on the grounds that he was not produced by the Convention of the party, therefore cannot occupy the position of the National Working Committee (NWC).
Article 22 of the APC constitution stipulates that an NWC member must be produced by a Convention.
In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja Nabena announced that he has taken over as the Acting National Publicity Secretary of APC pending when Onilu will vacate the court order restraining him.
He said, “with understanding with Onilu l would act pending the time Mallam will sort out the court matter.
“APC is a law abiding party and as leaders of the party we must be seeing doing the right thing at all time, including respecting the order of the court. Mallam Onilu has begun the process of vacating the order of the Sokoto High Court restraining him but pending the time this will be done I will act in his position.
“Unlike the former ruling party, APC has high regard for the judiciary and we must be seen at all time practicing what we preach.”
Nabena however called for understanding among the APC supporters worldwide even as he urged the media and other stakeholders to cooperate with him in carrying out the assignment as usual.
He assured media representatives of prompt responses to enquiries and clarifications, while promising to creat mutual understanding between the public and the governing party.
After refusing to pick several phone calls directed at him to confirm the development, Onilu only responded to a text message saying, . “There’s no any such court judgement restraining me. He’s chasing shadow. I’ll speak to it soon.”
