A top member of the APC NEC, who spoke on condition of anonymity in Abuja on Saturday, said the first item to be considered at the meeting would be the ratification of Oshiomhole’s suspension.
The source said, “The party will like to start on a clean slate and to do so, we need to act in accordance with the law. Oshiomhole has been suspended by court and we will ratify the decision and proceed from there.
“Another issue will be to quash the illegal actions taken by the suspended chairman while he was in office. Some of them are the illegal appointment and purported suspension/removal of members of the National Working Committee.
“Then, we will face the main business of the day, which is the appointment of an acting national chairman for the party until a proper convention is held to choose a substantive national chairman.
“We may also be looking at getting our members to withdraw the cases that should be withdrawn from courts for us to move forward while those requiring determination are allowed to be determined.”
While responding to a question on the call by some members from the South-South that the acting National Secretary of the party, Chief Victor Giadom, should be appointed as acting national chairman, the source said, “Acceding to this request will be going against our constitution.
“Our constitution is clear on this matter. It states that where the chairman is either removed, dies, resigns or the position becomes vacant, the deputy national chairman from his zone takes over.
“In our peculiar situation, the former Deputy National Chairman (South), Otunba Niyi Adebayo, is now a minister and has not been replaced. What it then means is that the only deputy available is the one from the North, Senator Lawal Shuaibu.”
When reminded that the Oshiomhole NWC had announced ex-Oyo State Governor Ajimobi as Adebayo’s replacement, the source said, “That is the kind of anomaly the NEC meeting is set to address. The NWC has no such powers. National positions in the party are not by appointment. When there are vacancies, they are filled through elections during conventions.”
It was also learnt that opponents and supporters of the former Edo State governor in the NEC had been mobilising to attend what a source described “an all-important meeting.”
The anti-Oshiomhole mobilisation was said to be spearheaded by governors and ministers against the continued stay of the suspended chairman in office.
Those who want the chairman in office were said to be relying on some of the governors as well as members of the party from the South-West and North-West.
The source said, “Both camps are really mobilising. It may be one of the best meeting that members would attend in recent days. Unfortunately, there are some die-hard supporters and enemies of the suspended chairman who are not members of the NEC.”
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