Following Appeal Court’s upholding of the suspension of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, the battle for his temporary replacement seems to have begun with both immediate past governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, who is the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the party and Chief Victor Giadom, the party’s incumbent Deputy National Secretary and a member of the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, laying claim to the exalted ‘throne.’
Though the party (APC), shortly after the Appeal Court verdict appointed Ajimobi the acting national chairman, saying the former governor will be its interim leader, Giadom’s camp, in a statement by his counsel, Chief Wole Afolabi, obtained by Vanguard , insisted that the order of the FCT High Court issued on March 16, 2020 by Hon. Justice S.U Bature in Suit No. FCT/HC/M/6447/2020 to the effect that Chief Victor Giadom is to act as the National Chairman of the party due to the suspension of Adams Oshiomhole as the National Chairman remains valid, thereby rendering Ajimobi’s appointment null and void and of no effect .
Chief Afolabi said: Our attention has been drawn to a statement purportedly issued by the Publicity Secretary of the APC to the effect that Senator Abiola Ajimobi is to act as the National Chairman of APC following the suspension from office of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole by the Court of Appeal.
”We wish to state that the statement must have been issued in complete ignorance of the order of the FCT High Court issued on 16th of March, 2020 by Hon. Justice S.U Bature in Suit No. FCT/HC/M/6447/2020 to the effect that Chief Victor Giadom is to act as the National Chairman of the party due to the suspension of Adams Oshiomhole as the National Chairman.
”The order was given the same day that the Court of Appeal earlier gave Oshiomhole a temporary respite by staying the execution of the said order suspending Oshiomhole. Now that the Court of Appeal has affirmed the order of suspension, it is only proper that the Order recognising Chief Victor Giadom is implemented.
”Consequently, we have written to all law enforcement agencies to implement the said order and any one who attempts to parade himself/herself other than Chief Victor Giadom as the Acting Chairman of the APC would be facing contempt of court proceedings.”