As the succession crisis continues to tear the All Progressive Congress (APC) apart, a chieftain of the Party, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze has thrown his weight behind Victor Giadom to act as the National Chairman of the Party.
Chief Eze said there were a number of reasons why the position of acting National Chairman of the party falls on Giadom.
According to him, Giadom is from the South-South Geo-political Zone to which the position of National Chairman of the Party has been zoned.
Another reason he argued is that an FCT High Court delivered a judgement on March 16, 2020 recognising him as the person to act for the National Chairman of APC.
In his message of felicitation, Chief Eze, erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP) said Victor Giadom should legally & physically take charge of the party & its secretariat.
He dismissed insinuations that Sen. Abiola Ajimobi is armed with statutory powers to administer the party as according to Eze, the next highest ranking officer from the South-South is Giadom.
He said Chief Giadom, as the next highest ranking member of the NWC from the South-South Zone, in compliance with the court’s ruling assumes duties as Acting National Chairman of All Progressives Congress.
“Any other person parading himself as Acting National Chairman is doing so at his peril and should be regarded as an agent of destabilisation”, Eze warned.
In the same vein, the party chieftain congratulated the Court for its sound judgement which ousted Oshiomhole both as National Chairman and as a member of ruling APC, lamenting that the former Edo Governor appropriated more powers to himself than the Constitution provides and as a result, navigated the party into a seeming unending imbroglio which culminated to the disenfranchisement of party faithful and electoral loss in, Zamfara, Bauchi, Adamawa, Bayelsa and Rivers and other key states and constituencies across the country.
Eze express sadness that Oshiomhole messed the opportunity given him to become a statesman and only succeeded in making mockery of himself by exposing his very many leadership deficiencies without remorse.
The APC chieftain commended the APC in Edo State for exposing Oshiomhole as an undemocratic, divisive character not worthy of leading a great party like the ruling All Progressives Congress.
While appealing to stakeholders to rally round the Ag. National Chairman, Chief Victor Giadom to reposition the party, he said South South leaders will not for any reason succumb or tolerate anybody scheming to take over the office zoned to the region for any reason whatsoever.
Congratulating Giadom for his new office, Eze urged him to consult widely to achieve the target of rebuilding the party brick by brick, while praying for God’s guidance and direction as he opens a new chapter for the All Progressives Congress.
Eze in conclusion quoted the Acting National Chairman of APC in his inaugural speech thus, “consequently, I bring to your notice that on the 16th of March 2020, Hon Justice S.U. Bature in suit no FCT/HC/M/6447/2020 had ordered that, with the earlier suspension of Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomohle, I Chief. Hon Victor Giadom should act as National Chairman of our great party.
“That Order could not be immediately effected at that time because of the temporary reprieve Adams Oshiomohle got from the Court of Appeal on the same date.
“However, having removed the temporary reprieve yesterday by the Court of Appeal and considering the fact that we cannot allow for a vaacum, I most humbly inform you that I have assumed office as Acting National Chairman of our great party in compliance with the order of the court.
Our party, the All Progressives Congress, will no longer allow local quests for the control of power to influence our decisions. As your Acting National Chairman and presiding officer in the NWC, we therefore cancel the decision of the Screening and Appeal Committees of the former Chairman of the party on the Edo primaries. This is in strict compliance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that forbids anyone who is interested in a cause to be a judge in that same cause.
In addition to the above the Deputy Organising Secretary of the All Progressive Congress, Hon. Muhammad Sani Ibrahim, shall immediately resume office as the Acting. National Organising Secretary in compliance with the judgement of the Federal High Court in suit no: FHC/ABJ/CS/733/2018 which removed the former National Organising Secretary Mr Emmanuel Ibediro since 24th of September 2018. This is to ensure strict compliance with the Rule of Law.”
Eze said he supports all these positive steps so far taken by Chief Giadom to bring sanity to the party and urges some illegal and drowning members of NWC of APC who think otherwise to call themselves to order before they fall guilty of a valid court judgement.
