24th June, 2020
Majority of National Working Committee members of the All Progressives Congress have rejected invitations to the virtual emergency National Executive Committee meeting of the party.
The meeting at the Presidential Villa was called by Victor Giadom, who in the reckoning of these NWC members, no longer has a locus standi in the party or the NWC, as he has been suspended and his position in the NWC filled up.
Victor Giadom, however, claims he is the lawful acting chairman, in the absence of Adams Oshiomhole, the court suspended chairman.
His claim has been mightily supported by President Buhari.
After a four-hour emergency meeting on Wednesday, Hilliard Etta, vice-chairman of the APC (south-south) and Waziri Bulama, acting national secretary, said they resolved that attending the NEC meeting will amount to “embracing illegalities and turning a blind eye to the infractions on the constitution of the party”.
“We wish to unequivocally state that members of the National Working Committee (NWC) believe that the President was offered wrong advice or blackmailed into lending his weighty office to the illegality of the National Executive Committee meeting purportedly convened by one Victor Giadom on 25th June, 2020,” the statement read.
“We hereby respectfully implore Mr. President to kindly avail himself with facts of the matter regarding the impasse presently experienced by the party so as to guide him in his assessment of the matter because we are sure that the President, if properly advised, would come to the conclusion that the meeting convened by Chief Victor Giadom bothers on illegality and criminality.
“The National Working Committee (NWC) regrets to turn down the invitation to the illegal and unconstitutional National Executive Committee (NEC) convened by Chief Victor Giadom.
“We believe that attending such a meeting will amount to embracing illegalities and turning a blind eye to the infractions on the Constitution of our great Party.”