A faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) loyal to the suspended National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole has dared President Muhammadu Buhari over dissolution of its National Working Committee (NWC).
Following the recommendation of President Buhari, the National Working Committee of the APC was dissolved at the National Executive Council meeting on Thursday.
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.
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. The statement reads:
“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.
KanyiDaily recalls that the 18 NWC members loyal to Oshiomhole had declined attending the NEC meeting, insisting that President Buhari was blackmailed to support the ‘illegal meeting’ convened by Giadom.