Drama as Police occupy APC national secretariat, Gaidom plans NEC meeting

The crisis in the All Progressives Congress deepened on Tuesday as  armed policemen were deployed in its  national secretariat to forestall an outbreak of violence.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, as part of efforts to prevent violence, met with the members of the APC national working committee.

But the crisis in the ruling party worsened as the suspended deputy national secretary, Victor  Giadom, fixed the party’s National Executive Committee meeting for Thursday.

Opposing Giadom, the NWC said having been suspended from the party, he was not qualified to convene the meeting.

The leadership crisis in the APC worsened on Tuesday last week when the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja upheld the suspension of the party’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, by a lower in court in Abuja in March.

On the same day, no fewer than 17 members of the NWC held an emergency meeting and chose the immediate past governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, as acting chairman.

However,  Giadom, on the following day, cited a March judgment of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory and declared himself as the acting chairman.

Giadom had since returned to the court, which extended its order by two weeks.

But the deputy national secretary was on Monday stopped by a Rivers State High Court from parading himself as the acting national chairman.

The Ajimobi-led APC has also replaced him with Worgu Boms. Boms was nominated by the  South-South chapter of the party for the position of the deputy national secretary.

It was gathered that the IG’s meeting, which was held at the force headquarters,  was actually at the instance of the Ajimobi-led NWC.

A  party leader,  who attended the meeting said, “The meeting was actually at the instance of the party. We went to see him in line with the growing need for security. We don’t want a situation where miscreants masquerading as aggrieved party members will take advantage of our little disagreements to destroy public property.”

The meeting which started at 1pm was rounded off at 2pm.

But at 9am on Tuesday, armed policemen, who said they were acting on an order from above, arrived at the APC national secretariat and ordered staff and journalists who were already in the building out. The policemen were at the secretariat till 2pm when they left.

We didn’t seal APC secretariat – Police

Contrary to earlier reports, the police  said they did not seal the APC national secretariat.

The force spokesman,  Frank Mba, in a statement on Tuesday afternoon, made it clear that policemen were deployed in the secretariat to ensure there was no breakdown of law and order.

He stated that the party members and the secretariat staff were at liberty to conduct their legitimate business as usual.

Mba said, “Personnel of the Nigeria Police Force have been deployed in the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress, located at Blantyre Crescent, Wuse II, Abuja.

“The deployment is a proactive move by the force to maintain peace and ensure there is no breakdown of law and order at the secretariat.”

Giadom convenes NEC meeting for Thursday

But few hours after the IG met the NWC,   Giadom issued a statement convening the APC’s NEC meeting. He said the meeting would hold on Thursday, June 25.

I have Buhari’s approval to convene NEC meeting – Giadom

He stated, “I, Chief Victor Giadom, having been duly authorised by a court order to act as national chairman of our great party and to preside over all meetings of the NWC and NEC hereby and with the consent of the President Muhammadu Buhari, (who is the leader of our party) reconvene the NEC meeting that was earlier billed to hold on the 17th of March, 2020, but was postponed. The reconvened meeting shall hold on Thursday, June 25th, 2020.

“In keeping strictly to the COVID-19 guidelines, the postponed NEC shall hold by virtual means. The codes would be sent by text to the phone numbers of all NEC  members.”

But the APC National Vice Chairman (south-south), Hilliard Eta, at a press conference in Abuja,  said Giadom was not qualified to convene NEC meeting.

He said Giadom was no longer a member of the NWC.