The political crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is now intense as the erstwhile Acting National Secretary, Chief Victor Giadom has declared himself Acting National Chairman on the premise of a subsisting court order issued on March 16, 2020.
Giadom, who arrived the national secretariat of the party in Abuja as early as 9.00 am and headed into the office to take over in acting capacity, in a media address declared the appointment of Senator Abiola Ajimobi as Acting national Chairman illegal and unconstitutional.
While declaring that Ex-Governor Ajimobi’s appointment cannot stand, Giadom referred to the order by Justice S.U Bature in suit no FCT /HC/M/6447/2020 as the basis for taking over as Acting Chairman of the APC.
“That order could not be immediately effected at that time because of the temporary reprieve Adams Oshiomhole got from the court of appeal on the same day.
“However, having removed the temporary reprieve yesterday (Tuesday) by the court of appeal and considering the fact that we cannot allow for a vacuum, 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”, Giadom argued.
In a move that is rather swift, Giadom shocked political observers when he announced the reversal of Edo governorship election screening masterminded by the sacked Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.
Giadom, declared as null and void, the disqualification of Governor Godwin Obaseki from contesting in the Edo state governorship primaries.
Furthermore, Giadom, who disclosed that he has the support of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) directed governorship aspirants of the party in Edo state to report to the national secretariat of the party in Abuja between today and tomorrow to come for a fresh screening exercise in line with the party constitution.
Similarly, Giadom declared that Emmanuel Ibediro ceases to be the national organising secretary of the party in line with an Abuja court order FHC/ABJ/CS/733//2018, and ordered the Deputy National Organising Secretary, Muhammed Sani Ibrahim to assume his position.
Meanwhile, since the sack of Adams Oshiomhole yesterday (Tuesday), it was anticipated that the APC National Secretariat had potentially become a battleground. In order to forestall the breakdown of law and order, security operatives in the early hours of Wednesday proactively took over and were strategically positioned inside and outside the APC secretariat.
The security agents, who arrived the party headquarters on two Hilux Patrol vehicles, stopped the journalists covering the party from gaining entrance into the complex.
Interestingly, the suspended chairman, Oshiomhole, who has been in a long-drawn battle with his successor, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, seems to have respected the court ruling as he stayed out the secretariat.
However, there was mild celebration among secretariat staff who gathered in groups discussing the removal of former national Chairman, Oshiomhole.
In a related development, the party’s National Vice-Chairman (North), Salihu Mustapha, also ordered security agents not to entertain any media briefing from the opposition camp.
