The National Working Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) said that Victor Giadom, the pretender to the chairmanship is not competent to summon the APC NEC meeting.
Mr. Hilliard Etta, National Vice-Chairman (South south) of APC who is standing in for acting National Chairman Senator Abiola Ajimobi said Giadom, lacks the legal and the constitutional backing to call a NEC meeting of the party.
He added that the membership of Chief Giadom has been suspended by a competent court of jurisdiction in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and as such, he is no longer of the APC NWC.
But Etta also condemned reference to Ajimobi-led NWC as a faction of the NWC. “It is not right to refer to 17 members, with 15 of them physically present and two who met with us virtually as a faction. This is the National Working Committee of the APC.
“When you call him (Giadom) factional acting Chairman, we wonder why,” Eta said
Further dismissing attempt by Giadom to convene a NEC meeting of the party, Etta noted that Article 25B(i and ii) of the APC Constitution (2014 as amended) gives the conditions precedent to summoning a NEC meeting.
He cited the articles as:
“The National Executive Committee shall meet every quarter and or at any time decided by the National Chairman or at the request made in writing by at least two-thirds of the members of the National Executive Committee provided that not less than fourteen days’ notice is given for the meeting to be summoned.
“Without prejudice to Article 25(B)(i) of this Constitution, the National Working Committee may summon an emergency National Executive Committee meeting at any time, provided that at least seven days’ notice of the meeting shall be given to all those entitled to attend”.
Giadom had before the press conference addressed by Etta on Tuesday issued a notice of NEC meeting for Wednesday at 12pm at an unnamed venue.
He claimed that he has the support of President Buhari for the meeting which will be held online and and at the presidential villa.
The notice by Giadom reads: “I Chief Victor Giadom, having been duly authorised by 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”.
