South-South, South-West set for battle royale over Oshiomhole’s replacement

INFORMATION flittering from the front-row leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), suggests a coming battle royale between the South-South and South-West zones, over the seat of the national chairman.

Embattled national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, is on suspension via an order of a court and faces a large-scale mutiny within the party and looks likely to lose the seat before the July 2022 expiration date of his tenure.

The National Working Committee (NWC), which he leads, is factionalised, with majority baying for his blood.

Only the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party could constitutionally remove him from office and Sunday Tribune has learnt that efforts are underway to scuttle the NEC meeting called for Tuesday.

The crucial meeting was initiated by the acting national secretary, Victor Giadom, from Rivers State, who has now being adopted by the South-South leaders as Oshiomhole’s replacement in full capacity.

Giadom is believed to be a lackey of the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi and his endorsement and planned promotion to the national chairman’s seat is being interpreted as Amaechi’s masterstroke, to take over the party, from Oshiomhole’s backers, like the national leader of the party, Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

A minister in a telephone conversation with Sunday Tribune, at the weekend, confirmed Giadom as the choice of the South-South zone for the seat, with Oshiomhole’s return, being practically foreclosed.

The serving minister, who is from the South-South, disclosed that the zone settled for Giadom, who was until the Oshiomhole crisis, the deputy national secretary of the party, because he was the highest-ranking party official from the zone.

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The party’s chieftain, who preferred to speak anonymously on the raging party crisis, noted that the zone had taken its position on the matter, despite the opposition from pockets of party chieftains from the same zone.

It has, however, emerged that the zone may have to contend with more than forces within its fold, in seeing the back of Oshiomhole and installing Giadom.

A top chieftain of the ruling party from the South-West and an ally of Tinubu, says it is not written anywhere that South-South must produce Oshiomhole’s replacement, noting that what the party’s constitution recognises is North and South dichotomy.

The Tinubu associate hinted that the South-West wing of the party may be contesting the top position when it finally becomes vacant.

He was almost convinced Oshiomhole won’t stage a comeback, but certain that the South-South zone won’t just be picking the seat again, on a platter.

The Tinubu tendency of the party had tried to railroad a former governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi into the office of the deputy national chairman, South, which would have qualified the former Oyo helmsman to take control of the party.

The late announcement of Ajimobi’s appointment, after the court order suspending Oshiomhole, got the push entangled in the festering leadership crisis and as of press time, there were no indications, Ajimobi would be attending the controversial NEC meeting.

Giadom had discountenanced the order of the court from Lagos, directing the participation of Ajimobi and the other newly-announced officers, in the NEC meeting.

The court order which was issued on Thursday by a Federal High Court in Lagos also restrained the ruling party from going ahead with the meeting if Ajimobi, Waziri Bulama and Paul Chukwuma would not be allowed in.

Justice Mohammed Liman also restrained the APC and its officials from “disturbing, preventing or obstructing Waziri Bulama, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and Paul Chukwuma from carrying out their duties as acting National Secretary, acting National Deputy Chairman (South) and acting National Auditor of the APC, respectively.”

The order flowed from an ex parte application filed by the Lagos State Chairman of the APC, Tunde Balogun, through his counsel, Gani Bello.

The involvement of Balogun and Lagos chapter of the party, is the clearest indication of where Tinubu stands in the matter.

But the minister from the South-South expressed the readiness of the zone for whatever the South-West wing would be bringing on.

Explaining the leverage of South South zone on the position of chairman, he explained thus; “Yes, the party constitution recognizes North and South and the position of chairman was zoned to the South. The position was now micro-zoned to the South South and that is why when (John) Oyegun (former Edo governor) left, the zone produced Oshiomhole. So, the position is micro-zoned to the South South”.

When asked the chances of the zone if the South West should decide to contest the national chairman seat with his zone, he said “it is ok. No problem”.

The party is expected to hold a midterm special convention two years into the tenure of every NWC and it is largely to ratify nominees for vacant party positions.

The exercise, expected to hold July this year, may, however, come with a difference as Ekiti State is still angling to contest Ajimobi’s nomination as the deputy national chairman (South), to fill the vacancy created by the exit of now Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, who is from Ekiti State.

Ekiti is backing a former Senator, Gbenga Aluko.

If NEC should ratify Oshiomhole’s permanent exit on Tuesday, South-South and South- West may also be heading into an elective special convention in July, to elect a new national chairman.