NEC: President Buhari stands on rule of law to attend meeting, Lauretta Onochie explains

By Bashir Adefaka

Where the interventionist effort for the rescue of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has reached, there can be no amount of plot stopping it, as a High Court sitting in Jos, Plateau State, North Central geopolitical zone of the country says the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting slated for Thursday, June 25, 2020 must proceed.

Announcing this on her official Facebook handle Wednesday night, Special Assistant to the Nigerian President on Digital and Social Media, Ms Lauretta Onochie, said, “With this order, all is now set for a full reconciliatory meeting of the APC tomorrow (today) led by the President himself.”

It will be recalled that Eta and Bulama, members of National Working Committee (NWC) claiming to be acting national chairman and acting national secretary, respectively, had jointly issued and signed a press statement same Wednesday night to press home their rejection of and refusal to attend the all-important and all-inclusive meeting to resolve the internal crisis in the party.

Although they have not for once gone to court to vacate any of the judgements or orders by which FCT High Court and Court of Appeal, both in Abuja, suspended Adams Oshiomhole as member and national chairman of APC, the NWC members made the public statement last night declaring the NEC meeting, which President Muhammadu Buhari confirmed that he would attend, as illegal and unconstitutional.

The same court judgements installed the Acting National Secretary as at that time, Chief Victor Giadom, as Acting National Chairman (ANC) of the APC. After a long time of silence and resolve not to interfere in the internal affairs of the party, President Buhari was forced by order of necessity and, standing on the rule of law and “convincing” legal advice, he announced yesterday that he would attend today’s NEC meeting.

This he said is because the law is on the side of Victor Giadom as the Acting National Chairman (ANC) of All Progressives Congress (APC) and so that he saw his summon of NEC meeting to be in order for him to honour.

To give more energy to the meeting, the Jos High Court granted an order which compels the ANC, Giadom, to proceed with it today Thursday June 25 as scheduled.

“A High Court of Justice siting in JOS, Plateau State has granted an Order compelling the Acting National Chairman of APC, Chief Victor Giadom, to proceed with the NEC meeting fixed for Thursday, June 25th, 2020.

“The Order was made upon the Application of the Chairman of Plataeu APC, Mr. Latep Dabang, who is also a member of NEC. He complained that the provision of the APC Constitution regarding the convening of a quarterly NEC meeting has been serially abused and ignored by the present NWC, leading to a litany of illegalities by the NWC.

“It would be recalled that just yesterday, President Muhammadu Buhari gave his nod to the convening of an emergency NEC meeting to save the party from the multiple crises bedeviling it. Already letters have been sent out to all the Governors and members of the National Assembly who are NEC members.

“Whilst the Governors and lawmakers would be seated at the Council Chambers with Mr. President, others would join by virtual means.

“Already, the visitors list at the Presidential Villa contains the names of NEC members expected to arrive tomorrow (today), confirming the clear endorsement of the meeting by President Muhammadu Buhari,” Lauretta Onochie said.

The DEFENDER reports the comment in certain quarters which says it will be inconsequential whether or not the NWC members make true their threat to boycott the meeting.  This because it is said that any attempt by any section of the party to frustrate Thursday’s meeting will have exposed the long hidden parasite militating against the growth of the party and the country its government rules.

Yesterday, Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, had announced the President’s approval of the meeting in a statement he posted on his official Twitter handle.

He said: “The President has received very convincing advice on the position of the law as far as the situation in the party is concerned and has determined that the law is on the side of Victor Giadom as Acting National Chairman.

“Because he will always act in accordance with the law, the President will be attending the virtual meeting Giadom called for tomorrow afternoon.

“We urge the media to stop promoting manufactured controversies and to not give any further room for mischievous interpretations of the law on this matter.

“In addition to the President, the Giadom meeting will, hopefully, be attended by our Governors and the leaders of the National Assembly.”

The court order backing NEC meeting: