The Deputy National Secretary of the APC, Chief Victor Giadom, on Sunday, insisted that the party’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole remains suspended.
He said this in a statement he signed and made available to the media in Abuja.
According to him, a court of competent jurisdiction suspended the chairman and that decision still subsists.
Giadom said the scheduled National Executive Council meeting which is slated for March 17th will go ahead as planned noting that a notice to the contrary jointly signed by the party’s National Legal Adviser, Babatunde Ogala, its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu and “one Waziri Bulama” to the contrary should be ignored.
He said his attention was drawn to the notice which was aimed at discrediting his powers to convene an emergency NEC as Acting National Secretary.
The acting secretary said, the “Notice is not only aimed at creating mischief but it is aimed at misleading the esteemed members of the National Executive Committee and the general public at large.
“For the purpose of clarity and putting the issue in proper perspective. I wish to state that the decision to call for an emergency National Executive Committee Meeting for March 17. 2020 was taken in strict compliance with the Constitution of the Party.
“It is on record that the erstwhile National Chairman. Comrade Adams Oshiohmole has been suspended by a Court of Competent Jurisdiction. The two Deputy National Chairmen are no longer in office. The next most senior party office: should be the Secretary-General of the party. But as we all know.
“The erstwhile National Secretary in the person of Hon. Buni Mai Main is now the Executive Governor of Yobe State. Hence. as the Acting National Secretary. I have the Constitutional Power to steer activities of our great party.
“By Article 14.4 (i) of the Constitution of our great party. the Deputy National Secretary is empowered to act as National Secretary in the absence of the National Secretary and all the actions taken since the emergence of Hon. Buni Mai Mala as Executive Governor of Yobe State are taken in my capacity as the acting National Secretary.
“By Article [4.3 (ii) of the Constitution of the party. being the acting National Secretary, l have the power to issue Notices of meetings of National Convention, National Executive Committee and the National Working Committee of the party.
“This is the power I exercised on the March 6 and March 7. 2020 calling for an emergency National Executive Committee of our great party in line with Article 25 (B) (ii) of the Constitution of our great Party.”
He further said, “Article 25 (B) (i) of our constitution is very clear and it says. “The National Executive Committee of our great party shall meet every quarter of a year”. It is on record that the last National Executive Committee meeting was held on the 22″, of November 2019 which is about 4 months to 17“ of March fixed for the NEC meeting which itself is a breach of the party’s constitution.
While Article 25 (B) (ii) provides that National Working Committee of our meat party may summon an emergency National Executive Committee meeting at any time provided at least 7 days‘ notice of the meeting is given to those entitled to attend. The Notice given on the March 6. 2020 is in strict compliance with the provision of the Constitution.
“I urge members of the national working committee to attend the meeting slated for 17th day of March. 2020 as it will serve as an avenue to find solutions to the present state of quagmire the party had found itself in.
“The meeting will provide the way forward for the party, knowing that the National Executive Committee is the highest organ of the party after the convention. As such. I cannot be shut out of its responsibilities as provided by the Constitution of our great Party.”
The acting secretary noted that Waziri Bulama who “purportedly signed the document as the party’s National Secretary,” lacked legal footing to do so because he was neither a member of the NWC or the NEC.
Punch
