Adams Oshiomhole leading the APC in the way of Zamfara in the Edo and Ondo Guber Elections -APC National Deputy Chairman
Adams Oshiomhole leading the APC in the way of Zamfara in the Edo and Ondo Guber Elections -APC National Deputy Chairman
The crisis in the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC returned full circle on Wednesday after the Deputy National Chairman, North, Senator Lawali Shuaibu accused Comrade Adams Oshiomhole of endangering the party’s survival through illegal actions.
Shuaibu particularly flayed the appointments made by the National Working Committee, NWC for vacant positions within its fold saying that they were illegal as such usurped the powers of the National Convention.
Even more, Shuaibu who is from Zamfara State said the appointment by the NWC of a National Secretary exposed the party to making illegal guidelines and nominations for the Edo and Ondo governorship elections. He said that the guidelines just issued by the new national secretary could be challenged in court and bring the party to odium as happened in Zamfara.
Shuaibu also flayed the irregularity of meetings especially of the National Executive Committee, NEC which he said had made it possible for the national chairman to run affairs unilaterally.
There is nowhere in that same constitution where it was envisaged that an officer of the party could be appointed by the Chairman nor the NWC.
“Also, the Constitution of the Party stipulates a mandatory meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) every three months (Article 25 B (i) of APC constitution as amended.). This regular meeting is not only targeted at keeping the members abreast of developments, but ensuring collective responsibility of decision taken. By the combined effect of the above provision and Article 18 of the APC Constitution as amended).
“NEC is the main decision making organ after the convention, and shall meet every three months. The power to set up standing or ad-hoc committees of the Party is vested in the same NEC.
“Again, the APC Constitution in Article 20 () (a) made it unambiguously clear, that All Party Posts prescribed or implied by this constitution SHALL be filled by democratically conducted elections at the respective convention (in the case of NWC or NEC) or congress (in the case of Executive Committees at State, Local Government or ward levels) et al.”
“There is nowhere in that same constitution where it was envisaged that an officer of the party could be appointed by the Chairman nor the NWC.
“Not even NEC has the power to appoint any National officer of the Party in any capacity. Let me ask this simple question, what is difficult in organizing a mid term convention to elect the officers in line with the constitution so that even the officers will have confidence that they are elected like all other officers. The constitution of the Party in Article 25 (A) (1) page 89 stipulates that there shall be a convention every two years.
“We had convention in 2018 and another one is due in 2020. What is the hurry in appointing an acting National secretary when we have the duly elected Deputy National Secretary who has been acting in that capacity since December 2018 in line with Article 14.4 of the Constitution on page 58?
“All NWC Officers have Offices of their deputies to take charge of that office in the absence of the Principal, in consonance with article 14 of the constitution in its entirety. But what is happening to this Constitutional provision? Does it have a different legal interpretation? The self-imposed and the National Publicity Secretary, in a press statement stated that the National Working Committee had APPOINTED an acting National Secretary.
“How do you appoint? Are we still running a party with rules and regulations? This is now the pattern in the Party. Let me state unequivocally that any nomination signed by such acting National Secretary is a nullity and liable to be challenged by the opposition. Are we deaf and blind? Or is the Chairman finally out to intern the Party?
“In the light of the above, I call on leaders of APC to urgently intervene to ensure the provisions of the Party constitution are adhered to and not further compromised. Let me state categorically that I have no political ambition beyond where I find myself and my interest, if I may state, is borne out of genuine intention to save the Party I laboured to build.
“With regards to Ondo and Edo primary elections, there is already absence of transparency. The regulations issued that will guide the processes are already in violation of Article 20 (v) on page 76 of the APC constitution as amended where only the National Executive Committee is the only organ that SHALL approve such guidelines and regulations which includes the mode of nominating our candidates. I am crying for APC inside me!”