National Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Emmanuel Ibediro, has dismissed claim that he could no longer remain in office having been removed by a judgment of an high court.
Addressing newsmen on Friday, Deputy National Secretary of the party, Mohammed Sani Ibrahim, said a judgment of Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court Abuja, delivered on September 2018, declared the process that produced Emma Ibediro as null and void.
Ibrahim said he has since assumed the position of national organising secretary in acting capacity.
But Honourable Ibediro at a separate chat with journalists, at the weekend, accused his deputy of trying to exploit the leadership crisis rocking the party.
He argued that the plaintiff in the suit and immediate past national organising secretary of the party, Osita Izunaso, had since defected to the All Progressives Grand Alliance.
He further argued that Ibrahim could not benefit from the judgement since he was not joined in the suit. He noted that the position was zoned to the South East, while his deputy was from the North-West zone.
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Ibediro said:” My attention has been drawn to a statement by Mohammed Sani Ibrahim, my deputy, to the effect that he’s now the Acting National Organising Secretary.
“I want to tell you that there’s no love lost between us, for all I know he is also trying to cash in on the crisis within the party, when it is not necessary. For me I can only describe him as a meddlesome interloper which is not new to me.
“It is not new to me because after I won the election during the APC convention as the National Organising Secretary,my then opponent and former NOS, Senator Osita Izunaso, felt aggrieved with the outcome of the election and took me to court. It is also common knowledge that he obtained a judgement against me at that time.
“That judgment was given on 24th of September 2018 and we quickly appealed against that judgement. And that appeal is still pending because the reasons the court gave was that they were more preoccupied with election matters than to go into internal disputes of parties.
“But I also want to point out that as a lawyer, judgement of courts operate in persona and not in rem, that is judgement of courts against those who are parties in the suit, not any interloper, if I may say. We also know that while the appeal was pending, the man who took me to court left the party and went to APGA where he contested the Senate seat for Imo West Senatorial seat and since the matter is between me and Osita, and he left the party, technically he has lost all benefits of that judgement, which is common knowledge.
“And now this gentleman called Mohammed, this is not the first time he is showing this kind of usual interest. When that judgement was given at a time, he came to the office and he wanted to take over. And he was rightly advised by the legal adviser that this order is on appeal and that he cannot take over. After about a year he went to court at the Federal High Court, Abuja and filed a case, in 2019 and we met him in court.
“And the judge ruled that he has no locus, that he is not a party in the main suit and definitely not a party in the appeal, that the court cannot help him, and as a matter of fact the court threw away the matter. This happened about two weeks ago.
“So.probably, having lost out in the court and seeing the crisis in the party now, probably some people are recruiting him to be part of the fight for soul of the party. But I think that is very unfortunate. And also think he is wallowing in ignorance. Because he doesn’t understand that this matter is subjudice as it is pending in the Court of Appeal and any moment from now, the court will deliver its judgement. Then let him be patient, if the judgement of the Court of Appeal goes against me,it is the right of the South East to nominate a replacement, and not for him from Kaduna State to come and act.”
Ibediro further alleged that he was being victimised by a faction of the party led by acting national secretary, Victor Giadom because he refused to join them in working against the ousted national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
He said: “Perhaps those who have recruited him believe that since I have decided not to be part of what I consider an attempt to disorganise the party, that this perhaps s a way to bend my hands to come back. But it is not possible.
“Because when I was sworn as National Organising Secretary after the APC convention, I was swore to defend the constitution of the party, APC.
“And under the constitution of the party, I might also let you know because this is the first time I am speaking on this issue, In Article 21 b,c,d, especially d, the constitution is clear on discipline of members. The article does not contemplate situation where it will be free for all , where anybody can seat and remove anybody like what happened in Edo.
“I’m one of those who believe that whatever may be the sins of the national chairman, it is not right for a ward executive to seek to remove the national chairman of our party. It is not in our constitution. I believe that those who are fighting the battle, that it is a matter of time they will come to their senses and join hands and put our party back on track. So for me, I believe that everybody can still be brought together for our party to progress.”
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