Mixed reactions as APC holds emergency NEC meeting Thursday

…Buhari approved virtual NEC meeting, says Giadom

…Giadom has no locus standi to convene NEC meeting – Eta

…Dissolution of NWC imminent

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may be further enmeshed in a deeper crisis as controversy has greeted efforts to hold an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) tomorrow, Thursday, as a means of dousing the tension within the party.

Indication emerged on Tuesday afternoon that the factional acting National Chairman, Victor Giadom, on the advice of President Buhari planned an emergency virtual NEC meeting to be held on Thursday.

This decision to convoke an emergency NEC may have been taken at a parley between President Muhammadu Buhari and APC governors on Monday.

The meeting, it is widely believed, will address the multi – faceted leadership crisis which has resulted in factionalisation of the National Working Committee (NWC) and emergence of three party officials claiming the acting chairmanship position, following court suspension of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as national chairman.

Contrary to stipulation of the party constitution that a seven day notice must be given ahead of any NEC meeting, the Daily Times gathered that the party leadership has to invoke the ‘doctrine of necessity’ to convene the meeting.

But the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Hillard Eta dismissed such a meeting as a ruse and illegal.

Addressing journalists during a short ceremony to receive the report of the Governor Hope Uzodinma – led Edo State Primary Election Committee at the party secretariat later on Tuesday evening, Eta said that Giadom has no locus standi to convene NEC meeting.

According to him, Giadom as at Tuesday afternoon ceased to be a member of APC as a court of competent jurisdiction in Port Harcourt nullified his membership.

He said Giadom by virtue of the ruling has ceased to be a member of the APC and could not have convened such a meeting.

Eta also argued that an emergency meeting cannot be convened without following the party constitution requirement that a seven day notice of meeting be given those expected in attendance.

The factional chairman denied factions in the party leadership, arguing that the presence of policemen that the party secretariat earlier on Tuesday was to protect the building.

He said: “It is not right to refer to 17 members, with 15 of them physically present and two who met with us physically as a faction. This is the National Working Committee NWC of the APC in Nigeria.

“I sit here on behalf of Distinguished Senator Abiola Ajimobi as the acting Chairman of this party. If Victor Giadom is arranging a NEC, I believe that it is your responsibility as a member of the fourth estate of the realm to investigate his locus to find out whether he has the legal, the constitutional backing to be able to call a NEC meeting.

“As we speak, the membership of Chief Victor Giadom has been suspended by a competent court of jurisdiction in Port Harcourt this afternoon.

Not only is he not a member of the NWC from today, his membership of the APC has been suspended. So, when you call him factional acting Chairman, we wonder why.

“Article 25B (i and ii) of the APC Constitution (2014 as amended) states; “The National Executive Committee shall meet every quarter and or at any time decided by the National Chairman or at the request made in writing by at least two-thirds of the members of the National Executive Committee provided that not less than fourteen days’ notice is given for the meeting to be summoned.

“Without prejudice to Article 25(B)(i) of this Constitution, the National Working Committee may summon an emergency National Executive Committee meeting at any time, provided that at least seven days’ notice of the meeting shall be given to all those entitled to attend”, Eta said.

Meanwhile, the national secretariat of the party was shut against party officials, secretariat staff and journalists for almost four hours before it was later reopened around 2.30pm on Tuesday.

The crisis took a new dimension on Tuesday morning as policemen believed to be acting on the orders of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, barricaded the entrance to the party’s national secretariat, Abuja.

Though a detachment of police had been keeping watch at the party secretariat a few days back, a team of policemen arrived at 10.50am and packed a vehicle at the entrance to prevent vehicles from gaining access into the premises while the party security men were ordered to lock the gate.

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A party source told the Daily Times that the policemen acting on orders from above were instructed not to allow party officials including the Hillard Eta – led NWC members from entering the premises.

At 11.10 am, a detacthment of security operatives in the garb of ‘Special Force’ on motorbike were seen strategically stationed around the entrance to the party secretariat but around 11.30am, senior police officers took charge of the security on the premises ordering staff, journalists and food vendors out of the secretariat.

The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, it was learnt met with members of the NWC at the Force Headquarters in the afternoon after which the police detacthment vacated the premises and the secretariat gate thrown open to official, staff and journalists.

Members of the NWC led by Hillard Eta stormed the secretariat around 5.00pm and went into a closed door meeting inside the NEC Hall till around 6.00pm when a press conference was addressed.