Suspension: War of interim chairmen shatters APC as Tinubu-Oshiomhole bloc takes over

The last two events in the ruling APC are rocking the party to its foundation, and the last has yet to come as two chairmen emerged in acting capacity following national chairman Adams Oshiomhole suspension by court order.

In the unfolding drama, the party’s national publicity secretary, on order of the National Working Committee, announced the appointment of the party’s southwest national vice chairman Abiola Ajimobi as acting chairman Wednesday.

Ajimobi, the immediate past governor of Oyo, rode on the coat tail of the party’s national leader Bola Tinubu, the pillar of support for the embattled national chairman, to entered the national office early in the year.

But within hours of the announcement, the party’s deputy national secretary exploded.

Victor Giadom had an unfinished battle with Oshiomhole in March, when the chairman was first suspended, and quickly reinstated, on court order following a petition by a member who believed a   party’s national chairman suspended at the ward level had no business occupying the office again.

Giadom cashed in on that, and prayed the court to declare him acting chairman. He got the prayer granted then. He is pressing it home now—that the appeal court upheld Oshiomhole’s suspension.

In a statement by his lawyer Wole Afolabi, Giadom insisted that the office of the acting chairman is his for the asking, citing  the order of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court issued on March 16, 2020 by Hon. Justice S.U Bature in Suit No. FCT/HC/M/6447/2020.

Giadom said the order renders Ajimobi’s appointment null and void and of no effect.

”We wish to state that the statement must have been issued in complete ignorance of the order of the FCT High Court issued on 16th of March, 2020 by Hon. Justice S.U Bature in Suit No. FCT/HC/M/6447/2020 to the effect that Chief Victor Giadom is to act as the National Chairman of the party due to the suspension of Adams Oshiomhole as the National Chairman,’ the statement read in part.

”The order was given the same day that the Court of Appeal earlier gave Oshiomhole a temporary respite by staying the execution of the said order suspending Oshiomhole. Now that the Court of Appeal has affirmed the order of suspension, it is only proper that the Order recognising Chief Victor Giadom is implemented.”

Giadom’s counsel said he has written to all law enforcement agencies to implement the said order and anyone who attempts to parade himself/herself other than Chief Victor Giadom as the acting chairman of the APC would be facing contempt of court proceeding.

The crisis followed the climaxing of the battle between Oshiomhole and his godson and Edo Gov. Godwin Obaseki who was ruled out of contesting the party’s primary because he could not defend the inconsistencies in his credentials during screening.

The rift between the two lasted for over a year, and effort by party leaders, including Tinubu, President Muhammadu Buhari, and traditional leaders.

Although the role Tinubu played in making peace is not known yet, his way of handling godson gone rogue is not hidden. Lagos ex-Gov Akinwunmi Ambode, for trying to outshine his godfather Tinubu, went the same way Obaseki did.

Obaseki and his loyalists finally defected to the PDP June 16, and hours later, the appeal court affirmed the suspension of Oshiomhole as a high court initially ordered.