Forty-eight hours after the Court of Appeal upheld the suspension of All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, an FCT High Court has given another order concerning the party leadership.
On Thursday, Justice S. U. Bature, granted the prayer of the Deputy National Secretary, Victor Giadom, to be recognized as authentic Acting National Chairman.
The order dated June 18, 2020, on suit No FCT/HC/M/7707/2020 and extends the previous order granted to Giadom on March 17, 2020, was extended.
This means that in two days, three individuals became APC Acting National Chairman.
Hours after the verdict on Oshiomhole, the ruling party announced former governor of Oyo State as the Acting National Chairman.
But on Wednesday, APC announced that Hilliard Etta will act of behalf of Ajimobi, a former Senator who has been away from the public in recent weeks due to health issues.
Wole Afolabi, the lawyer to Giadom, had condemned the Ajimobi’s appointment.
He said APC acted “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 Giadom is to act as the National Chairman due to Oshiomhole’s suspension.
Afolabi recalled that the order was given the same day the Court of Appeal gave Oshiomhole a temporary respite by staying the execution of the order suspending him.
The counsel said after the Court of Appeal affirmed Oshiomhole’s suspension, the APC should have implemented the order recognizing Giadom, instead of announcing Ajimobi.
Meanwhile, Mustapha Salihu, APC National Vice Chairman (North East) has spoken on the latest court judgement which asked him to act as the National Secretary.
The judge said Salihu (listed as the 4th defendant) should act in the position pending “the decision of a validly convened National Executive Committee, NEC or pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed, whichever comes first.”
Reacting, Salihu declared that he could not have been a part of the order because he was at a meeting of the party’s North East stakeholders where Waziri Bulama was endorsed as Acting National Secretary.
He said the zone has nominated Bulama “in the presence of the Senate president, APC governors from the zone and other party stakeholders as the acting national secretary.
“I was at the meeting where this decision was reached. So why now would I go back to obtain a court order to act as national secretary? I was not part of such shenanigan.”
Salihu stated that it was not in his character to play “dirty politics”.
“I condemn in strong terms those behind the act. At a time like this when the party is going through trying times, it is such a time that all lovers of the party must pull together to keep the party running,” the APC official said.
