APC Crisis: Why Buhari may not save Oshiomhole

There are emerging symptoms that President Muhammadu Buhari may not save the embattled national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, from being removed from office in the storm of the prevailing conflicts in the party despite his visit to the President at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday. Sources from the APC National Secretariat told National Daily that there is higher probably that the president may dump Oshiomhole and align with the decision of majority APC stakeholders. The party sources revealed that 15 of the 21 APC governors have resolved that “Oshiomhole must go”, adding that the governors have greater supporters in the APC in the struggle to dethrone the national chairman; and possibly return the APC national chairman to the southwest.

Another party source told National Daily that President Buhari is also conscious of the petition against Justice A. Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Kano by a legal practitioner, Andrew Adaze Emwant, to the National Judicial Council (NJC), for investigation and sanctioning of the judge for misconduct.

Emwant had in the petition identified that the misconduct occurred on March 5, 2020, a day wherein the Judge, as Presiding Judge in Suit No. FHC/KN/CS/53/2020 between Aliyu Muhammad Rabiu v. All Progressives Congress & 4 others, a suit that was filed on March 4, 2020, but hearing was clandestinely fixed for March 5, 2020; then an interim injunction granted by the Judge on March 5, 2020, all within 24 hours.

The petitioner pointed out that the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Jabi, Abuja, presided by Justice Danlami Senchi, had granted a similar interlocutory order on March 4, 2020 restraining the 2nd ,4th and 5th Defendants in the suit No. FHC/KN/CS/53/2020, upon which the Judge granted his own order.

The petitioner protested that the interlocutory order granted by the Abuja High Court sitting in Jabi was well publicized.

Emwant further pointed out that Oshiomhole had filed an application for stay of execution before the Abuja High Court that made the order; noting that Oshiomhole also filed an appeal against the decision on that same day. The petitioner reiterated that these were also well publicized.

Emwant, therefore, declared: “That the interim order hurriedly granted by the Judge …is the source and cause of the current transition crisis within the APC;” adding that, “there appears to be two conflicting Court orders from two courts of co-ordinate jurisdiction on the same subject.”

The transition crisis culminated into leadership devastation in the ruling party.

The party sources were of the view that President Buhari would not want to associate himself with judicial fraud or illegalities. They maintained that the judgement of the Federal High Court, Kano, which precipitated the dragging of the judge to the NJC raises suspicion of judicial fraud, which they said the president will not want to support. They stated that President Buhari had at the last APC NEC meeting assured to support only processes that comply with the rule of law and the prescriptions of the party constitution.

The Director-General of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman, had earlier advised the APC leadership to invoke the provisions of Article 17 (vi) of the party’s Constitution to appoint an acting Chairman in place of Oshiomhole until the conflicts are resolved.

He argued out the basic procedures of decision making on the subject matter including the convening off NEC meeting.

APC leaders appear to have accepted the Progressives Governors Forum DG arguments and recommendations, thus, decided to convene an emergency meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC), on Tuesday, March 17, 2020.
APC Deputy National Secretary, Chief Victor Giadom, had announced the convocation of an emergency meeting. On Friday. Giadom had indicated in the statement that he singed as the party’s “Acting National Secretary;” thus, displacing Arch. Waziri Bulama who was appointed National Secretary on Wednesday.

Clearly, President Buhari has since the recent conflicts erupted in the APC, remained calm, and declined to intervene. However, the President has overtime received numerous written complaints against Oshiomhole, including pressures to sack the embattled APC national chairman.

Meanwhile, March 17 is a date everyone is waiting for to know where the President stands.