Oshiomhole, loyalists absent at APC NWC meeting

* State chairmen deny passing vote of confidence

The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC) met, yesterday, without the suspended National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole and loyalist.

The meeting chaired by the Acting National Secretary, Victor Giadom, lasted for several hours with eight members of the NWC- National Vice Chairman, North East, Salihu Mustapha; National Vice Chairman, South West, Bankole Oluwajana; National Youth Leader, Abubakar Sadiq; National Woman Leader, Hajiya Salamatu Beiwa and the party’s acting National Auditor, Isa-Modu Chul- in attendance.

Because of the meeting, the party’s national headquarters recorded an appreciable number of visitors including APC Edo State Chairman, Anslem Ojezua.

The party’s national leadership did not brief journalists on reason for the meeting, it was, however, learnt that those who met were preparing for next week’s emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.

Meanwhile, APC Forum of State Chairmen has denied passing a vote of confidence and endorsing the continuation of the embattled national chairman.

The development comes barely a day after the group allegedly backed the former Edo governor. It would, however, appear that it was a faction of the forum headed by Ali Dalori and Ben Nwoye that had passed the vote of confidence on Monday.

In a twist of event, the chairman in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Lawal Liman, said members never met to deliberate on issues pertaining to the suspended chairman.

He said some members of the forum had been calling to find out the veracity of the statement immediately it was issued.

Lawan dismissed the vote of confidence as a fraud saying they would, however, meet to harmonise their thought before the March 17 emergency NEC.

“l have told them that no such thing happened and that they should disregard the statement. We had agreed, in the past, that nobody should issue a statement in the name of the forum of state chairmen of the APC if the chairmen did not meet and accept the release of such statement,” Liman said.

He charged members to exercise patience, with the hope that the crisis, in the party, would soon be resolved.

“All issues would be resolved at the next NEC meeting and, hopefully, we will hold a meeting of the forum before the said NEC meeting. We will not, in any way, bring the name of the forum to disrepute by doing what will take away our credibility,” he said.