National chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, on Monday, announced the closure of the party national secretariat.
While addressing the workers, Comrade Oshiomhole said the national working committee took the decision to protect its workers from the contagious ailment, coronavirus.
He said the closure, which would be for two weeks, could be extended.
The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives’ Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has explained why the party settled for the former Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, as new National Deputy Chairman (South).
Oshiomhole gave the explanation, while speaking to the State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday after introducing Ajimobi to President Muhammadu Buhari as the new replacement for the Minister of Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, as National Deputy Chairman (South).
The party Chairman was responding to a question on why Ajimobi was still given the position, despite the protest by the Ekiti State chapter of the party, where the former occupier of the office represented.
According to Oshiomhole, the majority of states in the South-West settled for the choice of Ajimobi, adding that the protest by one of the six states, Ekiti, was not enough to stop the former governor.
“We have six states in the South-West where the seat was zoned. Ekiti is the only one opposing it. As we always say, majority had their way and the minority had their say. That’s all”, he said.
Speaking about his mission to the Presidential Villa, Oshiomhole said he had come to introduce the new National Deputy Chairman (South) to the President, adding that Buhari was “excited” to receive Ajimobi and saw him as a man with the wealth of experience to contribute to the growth of the APC.
“I came to present or reintroduce Senator Ajimobi, whom the South-West nominated into the position of Deputy National Chairman, to Mr President. He has filled the vacancy created when Mr President appointed Adebayo as a minister.
“The President was excited and delighted to see him as one who will bring his wealth of experience to bear on the party”, he said.
Meanwhile, the APC National Chairman commended President Buhari for some of the measures the administration had taken during the week to fight the impact of outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on Nigerians.
He cited the reduction of the pump price of petrol from N145 to N125 and the travel restriction on 15 high-risk countries as some of the measures deserving commendation.
“I commend the President for the drop in price and we expect people to pass it down to the cost of transportation”, he said.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja failed on Friday to hear the appeal filed by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole.
Oshiomhole’s appeal is against the March 4, 2020 interlocutory ruling by Justice Danlami Senchi of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Jabi, suspending him (Oshiomhole) from office.
The appellate court then adjourned further hearing till March 20, 2020.
When parties got to court on Friday, one of its officials told lawyers in the case that the court will no longer hear the appeal as earlier scheduled.
The official said a fresh hearing date will be communicated to parties.
Details shortly…
Embattled Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Adams Oshiomhole on Tuesday described the recent challenges rocking the party’s National Working Committee, NWC as a normal phenomenon expected in any democratic setting.
Oshiomhole disclosed this during APC’s NWC at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
Clear road for the chairman! See Oshio ??? pic.twitter.com/vhJDB6GqYD
— Daddy D.O?? (@DOlusegun) March 17, 2020
He also suggested that the first post-crisis NWC should be devoted to “having a conversation around the coronavirus”.
Oshiomhole, holding his ‘rival’ Victor Giadom, said, “If it is one hour that we spend here, let us have a conversation around this issue.”
According to him, it should be an issue of concern that other countries were closing their international borders to contain the spread of the virus but Nigeria has yet to follow suit.
He explained that recent challenges the party had had to deal with were normal in a democratic setting.
Oshiomhole said, “Party Politics is about contestations. I am not the best chairman in the world and I don’t claim to be so, you can fault my style but you cannot fault my sincerity.
“The NWC is not divided. None of us seated here wants to destroy our party. My style is my style but I’ve learnt to reconcile my style with the style of others.”
The meeting, which is underway had most members of the 21 member NWC irrespective of which side they took during the crisis in attendance.
Following the Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja staying the execution of the order FCT High court suspending him, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has summoned a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
The meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, 2020, at the Party’s National Secretariat holds at 12 noon.
A statement by the party enjoined all NWC members to attend.
“All members of the NWC are expected to attend as important matters concerning the party will be considered and deliberated at the meeting”.
Recall that a Court of Appeal on Monday stayed the execution order of a High Court restraining the APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole from further acting in that capacity
The Court of Appeal, Abuja has stayed the execution of the March 4, 2020 order of a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) restraining the National Chairman of the All Progressives Party (APC), Adams Oshiomhole from further acting in that capacity.
A three-man panel of the court, led by Justice Abubakar Datti Yahaha was unanimous in granting the reliefs contained in an ex-parte motion argued on Monday by lead lawyer to Oshiomhole and the APC, Wole Olanipekun (SAN).
In the lead ruling by Justice Yahaya, the court also restrained the respondents from further taking any further steps in relation to the March 4, 2020 order by Justice Danlami Senchi of the High Court of the FCT.
Justice Yahaha added: “We employ political parties to try to resolve their differences amicably without having to unnecessarily bother the court.”
The scheduled hearing in the appeal by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole has been suspended by the Court of Appeal, Abuja.
The court had, last week sent notices of hearing to parties in the appeal.
But, when parties got to court today, a panel of three Justices led by Justice Stephen Adah sat to hear other cases.
The panel later rose, with a promise that another panel will be reconstituted to hear Oshiomole’s appeal.
Parties were however, taken aback when, rather than having a new panel, a female official of the court announced to a packed courtroom that the court has elected to hear Oshiomole’s appeal on a later date to be communicated to parties later.
Oshiomhole and his supporters, who have been in court since a little over 8 am, are currently meeting with their team of lawyers on what next steps to take.
As he exited the courtroom, with his supporters behind, Oshiomhole told journalists that he would await the court’s decision in the case.
Oshiomhole’s appeal is against an earlier judgment of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) which among others, restrained him acting as the National Chairman of the APC.
Leaders of the All Progressives Congress from the South-South region have recommended Victor Giadom, as a replacement for the embattled National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole while stressing that the party’s National Executive Committee meeting scheduled for next Tuesday must hold.
They have also asked all members of the party from the six states in the zone to attend the meeting.
At a zonal caucus meeting, which ended on Thursday night in Abuja, the leaders endorsed the current Acting National Chairman of the party, Victor Giadom, as a replacement for the embattled National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole.
A communique released at the end of the meeting noted that the leaders recognised the NEC as the only organ to resolve the APC crisis.
The communique was read on behalf of the leaders by the Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki.
The communique reads in part, “At the meeting, the leaders of the zone deliberated extensively on situation in the party and at the end of the meeting, they adopted the following resolutions:
“That as a party, we commend our brother, the Acting Chairman of the APC, Victor Giadom, for rising to the occasion by providing leadership for the party in this trying times.
“That we fully support the convening of the National Executive Committee meeting on Tuesday, March 17th, as the NEC is the only recognised organ under the constitution of our party to resolve the APC crisis.
“That we insist that the party should respect the current zoning arrangement by retaining the chairmanship of our great party in the South-South zone even in an acting capacity.
“We resolved that the most senior officer of the party from the zone, being the National Acting Secretary, Chief Victor Giadom, should be confirmed Acting National Chairman for the time being.
“We urged all our brothers and sisters from the zone to fully embrace the NEC meeting and not boycott the emergency NEC meeting, which has been slated for Tuesday, March 17th. Because boycott in a democratic environment is always counterproductive.”