As preparation for the emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) billed for Tuesday gets underway, there are signs that the days of the embattled national chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole may be numbered, Blueprint has gathered.
Indications to this effect emerged Thursday when to the surprise of all, his portrait which before now had donned the billboards alongside that of President Muhammadu Buhari ‘suddenly disappeared.’
Crisis
The ruling party was recently thrown into crisis when an FCT High Court ruled that Oshiomhole’s stay in office was an illegality.
And in just 24 hours after, a Federal High Court sitting in Kano declared the ruling as wrong and ordered the party chair to return to office.
The twin judicial pronouncements have since polarised the party along pro and anti-Oshiomhole groups.
Various reactions from major stakeholders have further escalated the tension the seeming tension arising from the leadership crisis facing the party.
Portrait removal
But a worrying twist was recently introduced to the crisis with the removal of Oshiomhole’s portrait from the major billboards in and around the party secretariat in Abuja.
Before now, both the president and the party’s national chairman had their portraits conspicuously donning the three billboards at different locations within and outside the party secretariat at Blantyre Street, Wuse 2 Abuja.
One of the billboards was carrying his portrait and banner of the APC.
Our correspondent reports that while a billboard is erected at the turning leading to the street (off Aminu Kano way), there are two others in front and within the premises of the party secretariat respectively.
Prior to Thursday, the portraits of both Buhari and Oshiomhole were beautifully spotted on the three billboards.
However, the crisis rocking the party leadership appears to be taking a worst dimension as the portrait of the party chair was Thursday removed, leaving only that of the president.
Although no party official was willing to comment on the development, unconfirmed sources however claimed the removal was on the order of “some top government officials.”
Further to this, Blueprint gathered that some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, particularly those opposed to Oshiomhole’s continued leadership had removed his portrait from their offices.
Although the removal of his portrait from the billboards did not generate any issue, some staff members of the party were however seen discussing “the strange development which might have signalled the gradual end to Oshiomhole’s tenure as chairman.”
Court orders APC on Ajimobi, others
Meanwhile, the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court Thursday ordered the APC to allow a former Oyo state Governor Abiola Ajimobi; Mr. Waziri Bulama and Mr. Paul Chukwuma attend its next NEC meeting.
In his ruling Thursday, Justice Mohammed Liman, restrained the APC and its officials from “disturbing, preventing or obstructing Waziri Bulama, Abiola Ajimobi, and Paul Chukwuma from carrying out their duties as acting National Secretary, acting National Deputy Chairman (South) and acting National Auditor of the APC, respectively.”
The orders were consequent upon an ex parte application filed by the Lagos state chairman of the party, Mr. Tunde Balogun and argued by his lawyer, Mr. Gani Bello.
In the application, Balogun prayed the court to compel the APC to recognise Bulama as the party’s acting national secretary; Ajimobi as the acting national deputy chairman (South); and Chukwuma as the acting national auditor of the party.
Bello further submitted that after the three offices became vacant and were zoned to different geopolitical zones, Bulama was nominated by the North-East; Ajimobi by the South-West; and Chukwuma by the South-east.
Balogun said Bulama’s nomination was ratified at the meeting of the APC NWC held January 14, 2020; while those of Ajimobi and Chukwuma were ratified at the NWC meeting of March 4, 2020.
He said: “By virtue of the ratification stated above, the nominees have become members of the National Executive Council and are entitled by the constitution of the defendant (APC) to work and operate in acting capacities in their respective offices pending their swearing-in at the National Convention of the party.
“In spite of the foregoing, the defendant (APC), acting through its officials and officers, particularly, the Deputy National Secretary, has not allowed the nominees to perform their duties as members of the National Executive Council.”
Balogun further told the court that the APC NEC could not effectively operate unless Bulama, Ajimobi, and Chukwuma were allowed to perform their duties, and therefore prayed the court to compel the APC to recognise them.
After listening to the applicants’ lawyer, Justice Liman granted the prayers and adjourned till March 25, 2020, to take the motion on notice.
…We are not aware
But the Acting National Secretary of the APC, Mr Victor Giadom said Thursday the party was not aware of any court order directing it to allow some persons to be part of the NEC meeting.
Addressing journalists at the end of the NWC meeting in Abuja, Giadom said if the court order eventually comes, the party would refer to its constitution and take it up from there.
He stated: “As NWC, we just concluded our meeting just to inform the public that the NEC meeting scheduled for the 17th March will still hold and every preparation towards that meeting is in hope gear. I want to use this opportunity to invite all NEC members to attend the meeting.”
He said every NEC member was prepared to attend the meeting.
Asked if he was aware of any court ruling that certain people must be part of the NEC meeting, otherwise it becomes irrelevant, Giadom said: “Not to my knowledge. We will like to see the court order and if that happens we refer back to our Constitution. We will take it up from that point.”
