..Governors may shun meeting over ‘illegal’ procedures

..NWC dissociates party from emergency NEC meeting

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) appears to be taking the first step towards the resolution of the crisis rocking it.

The crisis is threatening the position of the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who was restrained by a court order on Wednesday to stop parading himself as APC chairman.

This followed an ex parte motion filed in court by a group opposed to him.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the leader of the party, has raised a three-man team to liaise with those who have an axe to grind with Oshiomhole.

There were indications also last night that the President might ask the National Caucus of the party to wade into the crisis.

But it was learnt that APC governors may shun the emergency meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee slated for Tuesday, March 17, because it was ‘illegally convened’ by the Deputy National Secretary, Mr. Victor Giadom.

Although Giadom summoned the meeting as Acting Secretary, his authority is no longer tenable following the appointment of Arc. Waziri Bulama as substantive National Secretary.

Besides, the APC constitution stipulates that a 14-day notice must be issued ahead of a NEC meeting and a seven-day notice for an emergency NEC meeting.


It was gathered that none of the conditions for holding a NEC meeting was fulfilled at press time.

A reliable source, who spoke in confidence, said the President and his kitchen cabinet are unhappy that his administration is being distracted by the crisis over the fate of the national chairman.

The source said: “The President has raised a three-man compact team to reach out to the governors to allow peace to reign by sheathing their swords. He also asked the team to give assurance that he will try to reconcile all.

“The team has been engaging some of the aggrieved governors and party leaders on the way forward.

“It pains the President that his administration is being distracted at a time he had rolled out plans to make a difference in his second term. He could not understand why APC has to be embroiled in an unnecessary crisis.”

Responding to a question, the source added:

“The President is contemplating convening a National Caucus meeting to resolve all grey areas and issues.

“We are hopeful that our leaders can resolve the issue at hand because the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is about to capitalize on our differences.”

Sources also hinted on Saturday that most APC governors may not attend the emergency NEC meeting of the party because it was ‘illegally convened’.

A governor said: “It is laughable that the Deputy National Secretary will summon an emergency in the capacity of an Acting National Secretary which he does not hold again.

“Go and read Section 25/(B) of the APC Constitution, it is only the national chairman of the party that can direct the National Secretary to issue notice for the NEC meeting.”

The section reads: “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-third of the members of the National Executive Committee provided that not less than fourteen (14) 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 (7) days’ notice of the meeting shall be given to all those entitled to attend.

“Decisions at the meeting of the National Executive Committee shall be by simple majority of members present and voting.

“The quorum for the meetings of the National Executive Committee shall be one third of its membership. The provision regulating meetings of the National Executive Committee shall apply mutatis mutandis to Zonal Committee, State Executive Committee, Senatorial District Executive Committee, Local Government Area/Area Council Executive Committee and Ward Executive Committee.”


Meanwhile, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State yesterday openly declared support for Oshiomhole.

Bello made his position known in a statement through his Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo.

The governor said he would never do anything capable of disrupting the peace of the party.

The statement said: “Governor Yahaya Bello will never do anything that will disrupt the peace of APC.

“His interest has always been the peace and stability of the party.

“He is a true party man whose interest is the continued political relevance even beyond 2023.”

Police Inspector General Mohammed Adamu on Friday met with the two feuding sides in the APC crisis and warned them to keep off the party’s national secretariat in Abuja for now.

Soon after the group opposed to Oshiomhole obtained an interim court order restraining him from parading himself as chairman, a Federal High Court in Kano issued an interim order that the status quo in the party be maintained.

The development did not sit well with the anti-Oshiomhole group which vowed to resist his planned return to the secretariat yesterday on Friday.

Each side armed with a court order went to the Force Headquarters, Abuja seeking police protection but the IG could only ask them to give peace a chance and keep off the party’s national secretariat for now.

Oshiomhole led a faction of the National Working Committee (NWC) to the meeting with the IG while the National Vice Chairman, North East, Comrade Salihu Mustapha led the other group.

With neither of them willing to shift its ground at the meeting, the IG directed that the two groups should stay away from the party Secretariat.

Consequently, a team from the DSS was sent to reinforce the police detachment already at the secretariat.

The building is currently under lock and key.

https://thenationonlineng.net/apc-crisis-buhari-steps-in-raises-three-man-liaison-team/

Immediately the IG spoke those who are wise already know Buhari is behind Oshiomoles Travails

My president why! WHY!! U save Oshiomole twice. Coming for his rescue for the third time is bad Idea. Because of Oshiomole APC av lost a lot. He doesn't like Osibanjo to contest. Is he expecting Muslim Muslim tickets or what. President Buhari should not intervene and let Oshiomole fight his own War.

The problem with Oshiomole

Are you looking at me with pity?” Chairman of Nigeria’s governing All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, asked journalists who had besieged the gates of his Aso Drive residence in Abuja, as he made to fling himself into a waiting car for a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, March 5, 2020.

It was a message of defiance and calmness from Oshiomhole, shortly after a court suspended him as APC chairman.


After his meeting with the president, Oshiomhole, still putting up a brave face and managing to briefly look unruffled, announced that a minister and a handful of governors are behind his current travails.


He should know.

“I am a child of light who will always defeat darkness,” he added, with the looks of a man barely clutching at straws, his bald pate now tanning uncontrollably in the baking Abuja temperatures.

Oshiomhole’s troubles didn’t begin this week or this month, however.

Oshiomhole waves the APC symbolic broom during a party meet (Punch)
Oshiomhole waves the APC symbolic broom during a party meet (Punch)
Announced APC chairman on June 23, 2018, after John Odigie-Oyegun's lethargic reign, Oshiomhole was propped to the throne and vaunted as the figure who unites a party still coming to grasps with the trappings and the allure of power at the center.

He was tasked with bringing together the alpha males and out-sized egos in his party; and setting them on a common path toward consolidation with an agenda everyone could identify with.

Soon after his emergence as party chairman however, Oshiomhole made it clear he was at war with Edo Governor and his successor as helmsman of the south-south state, Godwin Obaseki.

Both men do not see eye to eye to this day and it was Obaseki who ensured that the APC in Edo and Oshiomhole’s primary ward in the state, suspended the national chairman from the grassroots.

Without a power base to draw from, Oshiomhole has been left weakened and emasculated. Obaseki has almost seized control of the APC structure in Edo from Oshiomhole's grasp.

It is that lack of a power structure from his home state and the deployment of his office as a means to settle personal scores, that has now left Oshiomhole vulnerable to the extent that he risks kissing his position as party chairman goodbye.

Oshiomhole’s politics has been far from stellar. He’s alienated some of the most powerful governors in his party at a time when he should be forging a consensus with some of his party's most powerful figures.

President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Godwin Obaseki and APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole share a laugh in 2019 ( Presidency)
President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Godwin Obaseki and APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole share a laugh in 2019 ( Presidency)
Top party officials say Oshiomhole’s ‘my way or the highway’ leadership style has earned him more friends than foes within the top brass of the APC.

His 'detractors' say his straight-talking can come across as rude and that it rubs colleagues the wrong way.

The APC's National Working Committee (NWC) has also been split right down the middle on Oshiomhole's account and the governing party now exists as splinters and factions no thanks to Oshiomhole's polarising brand of politics.

Oshiomhole’s cause has also not been helped by the fact that the APC has lost a couple of states it should be winning and that the party gifted Bayelsa to the opposition PDP through what some chieftains have termed ‘schoolboy errors and carelessness’ from party headquarters.

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and Buhari are quite the buddies [adelove]
Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and Buhari are quite the buddies [adelove]
While he talks a big game, dances with an effervescence at campaign rallies and puts opponents to the sword with an acerbic tongue during press briefings and outings, Oshiomhole often comes across as brash, brusque, not together and bereft of strategy and careful planning in the running of the APC.

Those who are hell bent on kicking him out as party chairman may be doing so from a selfish standpoint, seeing as they are no better humans themselves, but it has to be said that Oshiomhole handed them the weapons for his own annihilation.

He may well survive this however, seeing as President Buhari and APC godfather Bola Tinubu have often taken a liking to him.

Should he want to last the distance and tighten his hold on power for a little longer, Oshiomhole has got to change who he’s become and crack the whip only when absolutely necessary.

APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, flanked by party executives (Guardian)
APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, flanked by party executives (Guardian)
Carrying on like one headmaster who whips recalcitrant chaps into line within the APC, was always going to land the lithe framed Oshiomhole in trouble.

Oshiomhole has got to lead by making sure most of the top dogs within the APC are singing from the same hymn sheet.

Anything less will amount to a hara-kiri.

The person above...ur comment is even more than the OP's write up...kilode...

APC will be gone after buhari's tenure no doubt

People are so docile right now. It is almost as if good government means when the politicians lie to us for our own good, for the public good, and bad government is when politicians lie for their own selfish interests. J.B

Nobody can remove Oshiomele as party chairman at least for now except they want APC to go on extinction.

espn:
The person above...ur comment is even more than the OP's write up...kilode...

Leave that babe oooo....She dey Osi faction

All I know is: Osho is going nowhere

Removing political party chairmen at will through mob action as induced by few governors would always make the chairmen NOT to give fair and equal treatment of all party members. It leaves them at the beck and call of incumbent governors, which is undemocratic to say the least.

There is, therefore, an urgent need to put a stop to this nonsense that started during Obasanjo's administration when baton changed from Vincent Ogbulafor to Audu Ogbeh and to Ahmadu Ali as Ababa desired.

The laid down process for removing party chairmen as contained in party constitution should be respected.

This party will die after Buhari. My money on it!

This stormy tide may consume APC if the leadership fails to abate this crisis now. The game for the party’s presidential candidate is fully on.

Their palavas

I see Osho going home, power doesn't last forever

the team he set up to resolve the Edo issue are still trekking from Abuja to Benin

Ol

The zoo will fall before 2023.

muykem:
Nobody can remove Oshiomele as party chairman at least for now except they want APC to go on extinction.

Oga Apc is on the verge of extinction already, naa only Buhari face some members dey look.

They can only Bend Oshiomhole but he’s unbreakable!! He have the strong national leaders loyalty. APC it’s not PDP.

They should keep trying harder

I can imagine Obaseki's mood right now!

.

muykem:
Nobody can remove Oshiomele as party chairman at least for now except they want APC to go on extinction.

The only thing parmanent in politics is interest. If those who made him chairman feel he has outlived his relevance, he will easily be sacrificed for another to play out the new script for 2023.

He is just knowing there's crisis and the party needs his leadership?

This is the joke of the season. Has Buhari ever stepped in to any crises within or outside his government before if I may ask I need an answer from the die hard Buhari fan!!

muykem:
Nobody can remove Oshiomele as party chairman at least for now except they want APC to go on extinction.

what are your facts to validates your claims about osho