By Adesina Soyooye
The meeting of the National Executive Council of the All Progressives Congress, APC, endorsed by President Muhammadu Buhari, may not do much for the crisis-ridden party.
The meeting scheduled to hold at the Villa, today, Thursday, at the behest of the Buhari- endorsed Acting National Chairman, Chief Victor Giadom, will be boycotted by many who have dismissed it as illegal because Giadom has been suspended by a Court in Port Hacourt Rivers state from the APC.
The APC has been embroiled in a crisis of Leadership since the Court of Appeal suspended its National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole from office, and stripped him of all privileges due to the office.
But after an uncomfortable silence, the President, who is also the leader of the party, weighed in on the side of Giadom. In a release on Wednesday, a Presidential spokesperson, said Buhari would attend the NEC meeting, as he has been advised that, legally, the law is on the side of Giadom.
But in a statement signed by factional Ag National Chairman, Hilliard Eta, and Acting National Secretary, Arc. Waziri Bulama, the NWC said the President has been wrongly advised and blackmailed into endorsing an illegality.
The letter reads: “We wish to unequivocally state that members of the National Working Committee (NWC) believe that the President was offered wrong advice or blackmailed into lending his weighty office to the illegality of the National Executive Committee meeting purportedly convened by one Victor Giadom on 25th June, 2020
“We herby respectfully implore Mr President to kindly avail himself with facts regarding the impasse presently experienced by the party so as to guide him in his assessment of the matter because we are sure that the President, if properly advised, would come to the conclusion that the meeting convened by Chief Victor Giadom bothers on illegality and criminality.
“The National Working Committee (NWC) regrets to turn down the invitation to the illegal, unconstitutional, National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting convened by Chief Victor Giadom.
“We believe that attending such a meeting will amount to embracing illegalities and turning a blind eye to the infractions on the Constitution of our great party”.
Prof Itse Sagay, SAN, Chairman Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) agreees, and advised the President not to attend the meeting summoned by Giadom. He said Giadom lacks the powers to summon the meeting. He condemned the legal advice given to the President.
Sagay: ” I’m stunned by this turn of events. How can a Deputy National Secretary have the ambition to be the Chairman of a party when you have deputy chairmen and vice chairmen?
“That is why it is absurd. It does not make sense. His position makes it impossible for him to be acting national chairman.
” The legal advice the President got is mischievous in the extreme because there is no court order to extend since it does not exist.
“So, I would advise the President to step back from this matter, and not participate in it”.
The President, we gathered is not likely to listen to either the NWC or Sagay.
