Ogun: Dissolution of APC executive committees, effort in futility ― Adebiyi

THE embattled chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Ogun State, Chief Derin Adebiyi, has described the dissolution of the state, local and ward executive committees of the party by the leadership of the party, an effort in futility.

TribuneOnline recalls that the APC National Working Committee at a meeting presided over by the party’s National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on Tuesday, dissolved the executive committees in Imo and Ogun respectively.

It said caretaker committees would be inaugurated in their place to administer the party’s affairs ahead of the elections.

Adebiyi said the state chapter of the party would remain in office and carry out its statutory duties in line with the constitution of the party.

He said the state chapter of the party had in a suit No CV/363/2018 filed before Justice Jude Okeke of the FCT High Court, Abuja, sought the protection of the court against any attempt by the NWC to undermine it and abridge its tenure in any form.

“The Ogun APC views its purported dissolution as a brazen disregard for the judiciary, hence the Nigerian constitution and flagrant abuse of power by the Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee.

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“The action of the NWC is patently illegal; it is an assault on the APC constitution and outside the bounds of acceptable standards in the conduct of party affairs the world over. It was such acts of impunity that led us in the first place to seek legal protection for a four-year mandate freely given to us by the overwhelming majority of party members in Ogun State in May 2018. There is no iota of truth in the charge of anti-party activities levelled against us, as we remain committed to the ideals of the APC.

“You cannot dissolve a legally constituted body, such as Ogun APC exco on a whim. When a matter is in court, all parties are expected to maintain the status quo. What Oshiomhole-led NWC has done amounts to self-help and bare-faced attempt to render nugatory the judicial powers granted the courts by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We condemn this attempt to foist a fait accompli on the judiciary, undermine its powers and turn it into a toothless bulldog. The NWC is legally represented in the present suit. We urge it to allow the judicial process to run its full course.”

The statement urged party faithful in Ogun State to remain calm as “the Derin Adebiyi-led APC exco remains in office for the good of our great party.”