The two factions of the All Progressives Congress have continued their battle for the control of the party, ThePunch is reporting. The APC Deputy N
The two factions of the All Progressives Congress have continued their battle for the control of the party, ThePunch is reporting.
The APC Deputy National Secretary, Victor Giadom, who on Wednesday, declared himself as the acting national chairman after the Court of Appeal suspended the substantive Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, on Thursday obtained a court order affirming him as the acting chairman.
The High Court of Federal Capital Territory, which gave the latest order, also directed Giadom to preside over the party’s National Executive Committee meetings.
But the pro-Oshiomhole faction led by Senator Abiola Ajimobi began consultations with the APC stakeholders in the South-South with the aim of replacing Giadom as the deputy national secretary. It also went ahead to inaugurate its primary and appeal committees for the Edo State governorship election.
However, on Thursday, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, extended its March order, which allowed Giadom to act as the national chairman. The court permitted Giadom to act as the national chairman of the party for 14 days.
Justice Samira Bature had, on March 16, 2020, in a motion ex parte filed by the APC National Vice Chairman (North-East), Mustapha Salihu, ordered Giadom to be acting chairman. The plaintiff’s counsel, Wole Afolabi, on Thursday applied to the court for an extension of the interim order.
Justice Bature granted a two-week extension of the March 16, 2020 interim order. The judge cited Rule 3 of the COVID-19 Practice Direction of the FCT High Court.
The court also allowed, Salihu, to act as national secretary pending the determination of the substantive suit. Joined as defendants in the motion marked FCT/HC/M/6447/2020, are the Legal Adviser of the party, Babatunde Ogala; the National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu; the National Secretary, Waziri Bulama and the party, and the APC itself.
Salihu had in the suit sought an interim order allowing Giadom to pilot the affairs of the party as acting chairman. He had also in the motion sought an order allowing Giadom to preside at all meetings of the party’s NEC.
The applicant also sought an interim order restraining the APC and its officers or anyone purporting to act as an officer of the 4th defendant (the APC)from preventing or in any way disturbing Giadom from functioning as the acting chairman.
The lawyer to Giadom, Afolabi, argued that by virtue of the latest court order, Giadom was the APC acting national chairman.
“As of today, Victor Giadom is the Acting National Chairman until a national convention is held.”
But the APC national legal adviser said, none of the orders being flaunted by Giadom and associates had been served on the party.
He said, “The only person vested with authority to coordinate, receive processes and institute actions on behalf of the party is the National Legal Adviser, no other person has the power, and that is me. I have not been served any of these processes.”
