APC Leaders Unveil Candidate To Replace Oshiomhole As National Chairman

Some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have identified a replacement for embattled National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole.

The APC leaders from the south-south zone have also insisted that the party’s National Executive Committee meeting scheduled for next Tuesday must hold and also urged all members of the party from the six states in the zone to be in attendance.

This was part of agreements reached at a zonal caucus meeting, which ended on Thursday night in Abuja where Naija News understands Victor Giadom was endorsed as a replacement for Oshiomhole.

The meeting was attended by four serving Ministers from the zone namely; Rotimi Amaechi (Transport), Osagie Ehanire (Health), Festus Keyamo (State, Labour) and Goddy Jeddy Agba (State, Power) while Oshiomhole and the Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege and the APC National Vice-Chairman, South-South, Hilliard Eta, were absent, Punch reports.

Other party leaders who also attended the meeting were former Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba; former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Nguru Usani; and ex-NIMASA boss, Dakuku Peterside, amongst others.

A communique released at the end of the meeting which was read by the Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki reads in part: “At the meeting, the leaders of the zone deliberated extensively on situation in the party and at the end of the meeting, they adopted the following resolutions:

“That as a party, we commend our brother, the Acting Chairman of the APC, Victor Giadom, for rising to the occasion by providing leadership for the party in this trying times.

“That we fully support the convening of the National Executive Committee meeting on Tuesday, March 17th, as the NEC is the only recognised organ under the constitution of our party to resolve the APC crisis.

“That we insist that the party should respect the current zoning arrangement by retaining the chairmanship of our great party in the South-South zone even in an acting capacity.

“We resolved that the most senior officer of the party from the zone, being the National Acting Secretary, Chief Victor Giadom, should be confirmed Acting National Chairman for the time being.

“We urged all our brothers and sisters from the zone to fully embrace the NEC meeting and not boycott the emergency NEC meeting, which has been slated for Tuesday, March 17th. Because boycott in a democratic environment is always counterproductive.”

Meanwhile, this online medium recalls an Abuja court order had mandated Oshiomhole to stop parading himself as the APC National Chairman pending the final determination of the suit challenging his removal from office, however, about 24 hours after, another court sitting in Kano ruled that Oshiomhole should remain in office and status quo be maintained.