Confusion as APC Gets 4th National Chairman in Less than 24 Hours

The National Working Committee (NWC), of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday, appointed the party’s National Vice-Chairman South-South, Hilliard Eta as the acting National Chairman of the Party.

Eta was announced as acting Chairman at a press briefing at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja. Eta’s appointment came barely 24 hours after a former Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, was announced as the party acting chairman by the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Lanre Issa-Onilu, in a statement on Tuesday.

According to the NWC, Eta will act as the Chairman due to the unavoidable absence of Ajimobi, who was said to be receiving treatment for COVID-19 in Lagos. The Deputy National Secretary of the Party, Victor Giadom, had earlier declared himself the acting National Chairman, citing an order of the FCT High Court. Giadom also annulled the disqualification of Edo state Governor, Godwin Obaseki.

But Eta after his appointment as the acting National Chairman said Obaseki’s disqualification remains irreversible. He appointed a seven-member committee headed by Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo state with Senator Abimbola Bashir as secretary of the Edo State governorship primaries scheduled to hold on the 22nd of June.

Reacting to Giadom’s earlier declaration as the acting National Chairman, Eta berated the Deputy National Secretary, who he said no longer occupy the position following his resignation to participate in the 2019 gubernatorial election in Rivers state as the party’s running mate.

“Giadom must be in a fantasy land to create this kind of scenario. If he was still a very young man, I would have advised him to enrol into the military where he could go-ahead to do a coup and become a sole administrator. But we are in a democracy and in a progressive party like the APC where the rule of law is held in high esteem,” Eta said.

Among the 15 NWC members that attended the press briefing were the national publicity secretary of the party, Lanre Issa-Onilu, the national treasurer, Adamu Fanda, the National women leader, Hajia Salamatu Baiwa, and national organizing secretary, Emmanuel Ibediro.