The National Vice Chairman of the party, (North East), Comrade Mustapha Salihu has said that the suspended National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, almost caused chaos before the court ordered he stepped aside on Wednesday.
Salihu, while reacting to the judgement delivered by Justice Danladi Senchi, in an interview with journalists, specifically said Oshiomhole’s order to the Spokesperson of the party, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, during one of their meetings to announce one of the aspirants to fill vacant National Secretary position nearly tore the party apart.
The Adamawa-born APC chieftain stressed that such “autocratic” move by the embattled Chairman led five party members including himself to drag Oshiomhole and the party to court, arguing that someone who had been suspended by his party in Edo state could not preside over the party affairs.
He said, “Immediately the court injunction was given last time, the national chairman called on the party’s National Publicity Secretary to issue a statement to the press that Bulama is the National Secretary to the Party.
“I believe you guys are aware of the meeting that held about a month ago on that matter, which ended without a decision. Since then, there has not been a decision as to the replacement of the National Secretary. The chairman is about to create more chaos within the party as he gave the order.”
Daily Trust reports that, according to the court order, Oshiomhole is to step down pending the determination of the substantive suit seeking his perpetual removal as the APC chairman.
Oshiomhole was suspended last November by the Edo State chapter of the APC over his alleged role in the crisis rocking the party in the state.
The decision, according to a statement signed by the State Chairman, Aslem Ojezua, and Assistant State Secretary, Ikuenobe Anthony, followed the vote of no confidence passed on Comrade Oshiomhole by the chairmen of the APC in the 18 local government areas of the state.
The statement read in part: “Consequent on the development, the State Executive Committee has adopted the vote of no confidence passed on him and the subsisting suspension order from the organs of the party in the state.”
It said the decision was necessary to prevent a repeat of what happened in Zamfara State, where the party was unable to field any candidate in elections