Since President Muhammadu Buhari received advice to back Victor Giadom, an expelled member but self-appointed acting national chairman of the APC, the party has been divided and one of the splinters are getting ready for a showdown with Buhari.
Giadom, against the decision of the NWC backed by 17 of the 21 excos and headed by southwest national vice chairman Abiola Ajimobi, summoned a NEC meeting for June 25 at Aso Rock, and Buhari gave him his nod to attend. Seventeen
And the idea of the NEC, as many political observers speculate now, is to move for dissolution of the Ajimobi-led NWC largely reeling in leadership crisis since suspended national chairman Adams Oshiomhole took over in 2018.
The battle Oshiomhole faces has been largely that of his major backer and party juggernaut Bola Tinubu. Certain elements, including ministers and governors within the party and the APC administration, believe Tinubu should not be allowed to bestride the party. The former Lagos governor has been credited with the victory of Buhari in the 2015 election that toppled the PDP.
And the effort to checkmate Tinubu can only succeed when his stooges, like Oshiomhole, get as many broadsides as can knock him off.
Oshiomhole has stated that only one minister is behind his ordeal. Now, President Buhari has just been drawn in to the enemy camp—to kick his national leader in the teeth
But Tinubu and his man Friday are no pushovers.
Of the 19 governors in the APC kitty, 12 have aligned with the Tinubu-Oshiomhole-Ajimobi camp. Only seven governors have joined forces with Giadom.
Among the prominent pro-Tinubu governors are Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), Umar Ganduje(Kano), Hope Uzordinma (Imo0, Yahaya Bello(Kogi).
So at the NEC meeting Giadom and Buhari will feature in today, the NWC committee won’t be there, and party leaders in sympathy with Tinubu will boycott the meeting.
“The National Working Committee regrets to turn down the invitation to the illegal and unconstitutional national executive committee convened by Chief Victor Giadom,” a statement by the NWC said yesterday.
“We believe that attending such a meeting will amount to embracing illegalities and turning a blind eye to the infractions on the constitution of our great party. “