APC: Oshiomhole’s camp moves against caretaker committee

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) is set to return to the trenches despite the appeal by President Muhammadu Buhari to aggrieved chieftains to bury their differences and work with the interim national committee.

Former national vice chairman (South South) of the party, Hilliard Etagboeta, has filed a suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja to seek the dissolution of the party’s Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee led by Yobe State governor, Malam Mai Mala Buni. Etagboeta had emerged as factional acting national chairman of the party following the ouster of the party’s erstwhile national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, by a pronouncement of the court.

His claim to the office alongside former deputy national secretary, Victor Giadom, led to last June’s dissolution of the APC National Working Committee by the party’s National Executive Committee at an emergency meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Etagboeta, who is the plaintiff in the suit filed by his counsel, Chief Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), is seeking an order of the court setting aside and nullifying the appointment and constitution of the APC caretaker committee by its NEC.

Defendants in the suit are the committee’s chairman, Malam Buni and his secretary, Senator John Akpan Udoedehe as first and second defendants.

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Others are the Osun State governor, Isiaka Oyetola; his Niger State counterpart, Sani Bello and Stella Oketete as third, fourth and fifth defendants, respectively. The suit has the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as sixth defendant.

Also included in the prayers of the plaintiff before the court are: “An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, acting by themselves or through their agents and servants, from continuing to hold out, present and or parade themselves as the caretaker/extraordinary convention planning committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) or from taking any steps whatsoever as either National Chairman, National Secretary or members respectively of the caretaker/extraordinary convention planning committee of the all progressives congress (APC).

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 6th defendant from recognising and/or continuing to recognise the 1st to 5th defendants as National Chairman, National Secretary or members, respectively, of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE