Party stalwarts have begun jostling for the temporarily vacant post following the Court of Appeal’s judgement affirming the suspension of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Barely hours after the court judgement, Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and incumbent Deputy National Secretary and a member of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), Chief Victor Giadom, have begun laying claim to the seat.
Giadom faulted the NWC’s decision to appoint Ajimobi as acting National Chairman.
The party leadership had made its decision known in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu on Tuesday evening.
The NWC said it was guided by the legal department in its decision to appoint Ajimobi in with the provisions of Section 14.2. (iii) of the party’s constitution.
But in a statement by his lawyer, Chief Wole Afolabi, the deputy scribe said he should be occupying the seat.
He maintained that the order of the FCT High Court issued on March 16, 2020, by Hon. Justice S.U Bature in Suit No. FCT/HC/M/6447/2020 to the effect that Chief Victor Giadom is to act as the National Chairman of the party following the suspension of Oshiomhole remains valid.
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He added that the order therefore rendered Ajimobi’s appointment invalid, null and void.
The statement read, “Our attention has been drawn to a statement purportedly issued by the Publicity Secretary of the APC to the effect that Senator Abiola Ajimobi is to act as the National Chairman of APC following the suspension from office of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole by the Court of Appeal.
“We wish to state that the statement must have been issued in complete ignorance of the order of the FCT High Court issued on 16th of March, 2020 by Hon. Justice S.U Bature in Suit No. FCT/HC/M/6447/2020 to the effect that Chief Victor Giadom is to act as the National Chairman of the party due to the suspension of Adams Oshiomhole as the National Chairman.
“The order was given the same day that the Court of Appeal earlier gave Oshiomhole a temporary respite by staying the execution of the said order suspending Oshiomhole. Now that the Court of Appeal has affirmed the order of suspension, it is only proper that the Order recognising Chief Victor Giadom is implemented.
“Consequently, we have written to all law enforcement agencies to implement the said order and any one who attempts to parade himself/herself other than Chief Victor Giadom as the Acting Chairman of the APC would be facing contempt of court proceedings.”