Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC) loyal to the suspended National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, have taken charge of activities of the party at its secretariat in Abuja.
Although the factional chairman, Victor Giadom, had breezed into the secretariat in the early hours of Thursday and brazenly occupy the nationaal chairman’s parking lot, he however left after spending few minutes and never returned thereafter.
He had while announcing his resumption on Wednesday, cancelled all the processes of the Screening commitee that disqualified the incumbent governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki, from participating in the party primaries, ordering the aspirants to reappear for fresh screening between Wednesday and Thursday.
However, shortly after his departure from the secretariat, the pro-Oshiomole NWC members had stormed the headquarters and inaugurated members of the Governor Hope Uzodinma chaired Edo primary elections committee without any member of the other faction insight or in attendance.
There is strong indications that the suspended National Chairman, Oshiomhole, still dictates the shot of the day to day running of the party as strategic meetings are still held in his private office to decide events concerning the party.
Dismissing the insinuations that Oshiomhole has been relegated to the background, a member of the NWC queried the discomfort of certain persons over his status as the defactor chairman.
“What is wrong with holding meetings at the national chairman’s private office despite his suspension? Don’t forget that Oshiomhole is still chairman of this party. And if I may ask you, if the Group Politics Editor of a medium is suspended, does it amount to his or her removal or that he is no longer in charge of the desk? Our chirman may have been suspended but he is still directly involved in the day-to-day to day running of the party,” the NWC member quipped in a chat with Daily Sun.
Speaking before inaugurating the committee, National Vice Chairman (South-south), Hilliard Eta, who represented the Deputy National Chairman (South), Abiola Ajimobi, expressed confidence of the committee delivering on its mandate.
According to him; “This party has commenced the process of the Edo State primaries with the inauguration of the screening and Appeal Committees. So, we are almost at the culmination of that process. Those we have selected to do the onerous and herculean job were carefully selected as one of the bests among us.
“We have the indefatigable governor of Imo state, Sen Hope Uzodinma as chairman. The job of the commitee is very simple. The commiittee is charged with the responsibility of carrying out the proces of selecting the flagbearer of the party for the Edo Stategovernorship election.
“We also know that there may be complaints and disagreements that may arise from the conduct of the primary hence we have also constituted members of the Primary Appeal Committee to be headed by Dr Yusuf Ibrahim,” he said.
