Blueprint NG
With the constitution of the Barrister Ali Sa’ad Birnin Kudu-led Restructuring Committee to recommend modalities for the restructuring of the All Progressives Congress (APC) national secretariat before the party issues guidelines on party primaries, the Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led NWC is poised to hit the ground running for a clean break from the past. IRO DAN ASABE writes
Refreshing start
The All Progressives Congress (APC) newly elected national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, may have started the process to clean up the party in a fair and transparent manner as well as cater for all interests within the party with the appointment of a Restructuring Committee.
Headed by the first civilian governor of Jigawa state, Barrister Ali Sa’ad Birnin Kudu, the committee is saddled with making far-reaching recommendations that will move the APC forward. This mission seems to portray the new national chairman as even-handed and the Birinin Kudu committee a step in the right direction.
In retrospect, APC has weathered several political storms in the last three odd years.
Oshiomhole’s suspension, his Achilles Heels
In November 2019, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the then APC NWC chairman, was controversially suspended by his ward- Estsako ward – 10 in Edo state, for alleged anti-party activities. The suspension was ratified by the state chapter of the party and on January 16, 2020, six party chieftains, led by Mustapha Salihu(then NWC member), filed an application of interlocutory injunction, praying to the court to oust Oshiomhole from office, based on his suspension by his ward.
They argued that since Oshiomhole had failed to challenge it, he remained suspended, and therefore, could not continue to be the APC chairman.
Furthermore, they asserted it was legally wrong for Oshiomhole to continue to enjoy the benefits accruable to a member of the APC, in view of his suspension from the party. Thereafter, a Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting at Jabi, presided over by Justice Danlami Senchi, ordered Oshiomhole’s temporary suspension as the national chairman of APC.
Oshiomhole appealed the judgement but the Court of Appeal upheld his suspension because it followed due process, starting from the ward, to local government and state level as required by law.
“The identity of those who suspended Oshiomhole was not in doubt because in their unchallenged affidavit, they made it clear that they were party members and officers of the party, therefore, the appeal lacks merit,” the court had held…
