NEC Meeting Illegal, Oshiomole-Backed NWC Dares President Buhari

Eighteen members of the All Progressives Congress National Working Committee loyal to the party’s sacked National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, on Thursday,  insisted that the APC  National Executive Committee meeting attended by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), was illegal.

The NWC members, who said this in a statement signed by the acting National Chairman, Hillard Eta, and the acting National Secretary, Waziri Bulama, stated that they were consulting their lawyers and other stakeholders on the dissolution of the NWC and other decisions taken at the NEC meeting on Thursday.

They insisted that the NEC meeting was illegally convened by the suspended  Deputy National Secretary of the party, Victor Giadom.

A few hours after the NWC was dissolved at the instance of Buhari, the 18 members dared the President and others at the NEC meeting by issuing a statement where they referred to themselves as officials of the party.

Buhari recommended NWC dissolution – Aide

Before the end of the virtual NEC meeting,  which began at noon on Thursday at the State House  Abuja, Buhari’s social media aide, Bashir Ahmad, in his Twitter handle, said the dissolution of the NWC was based  on the recommendation of the President.

He wrote, “Following the recommendation of President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress has been dissolved. Details to come…”

At the end of the meeting, the Chairman of  the Progressives Governors’ Forum, Atiku Bagudu, in an interview with State House correspondents, confirmed that the NWC had been dissolved.

He was joined by other state governors elected on the platform of the party, when he disclosed this to journalists.

He also disclosed that the party had set up a national caretaker committee headed by the Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni.

Other members of the caretaker committee are the Osun State Governor, Isiaka Oyetola, representing the South-West; a former Senate President Ken Nnamani, (South-East), Stella Okorete (women representative), Niger State Governor, Sani Bello (North-Central); Dr James Lalu (the physically challenged), Senator Abubakar Yusuf(Senatè), Akinyemi Olaide (House of  Representative),  David Leon  (South-South), Abba Ari (North-West), Prof Tahir Mamman (North-East) Ismail Ahmed (Youth) and Senator   Akpan Udoedehe (Secretary).

Faulting the NEC meeting, the pro-Oshiomhole NWC members in their press statement, stated, “The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress wishes to reiterate its earlier position that Chief Victor Giadom has no authority whatsoever to convene a meeting of the National Executive Committee of our great party.

“Article 25(B) of the constitution of the APC is explicit that only the National Chairman or the National Working Committee is given the prerogative of summoning meetings of the National Executive Committee of the party either for statutory quarterly meetings or for emergency meetings. The same provision of the constitution makes it compulsory for a notice of minimum of 14 days in respect of statutory quarterly meetings and seven days in respect of emergency meetings.

“We note that Chief Victor Giadom had convened and conducted a virtual meeting purportedly to be a National Executive Committee meeting of our party wherein certain far-reaching resolutions were purportedly reached. While the National Working Committee is studying the unfolding drama, it will be consulting with stakeholders and team of lawyers on the next line of action

“Therefore, all members of our great party and concerned Nigerians are urged to remain calm pending the outcome of the consultations.”

According to Eta and Bulama, other NWC members who were “part of this press statement” include the National Vice Chairman (North-West), Inuwa Abdulkadir; National Vice Chairman (South-West) Pastor Bankole Oluwajana, and the National Vice Chairman, (North-Central), Alhaji Ahmed Wambal.