APC LEADERSHIP TUSSLE: Tinubu Group Renews Onslaught, Goes To Court

When President Muhammadu Buhari, on June 25 sacked the All Progressives Congress, APC National Working Committee, NWC led by Etta Hillard, replacing it with the a National Caretaker Committee headed by the Governor of Yobe state, Mai Mala Buni, some thought the leadership fiasco in the ruling party had finally been over.

During the meeting held in Aso Rock, Presidential Villa, the president also directed all the members of the party to sheathe their swords in the interest of the party, warning trouble makers will be sanctioned.

But on Wednesday, one of the Party chieftains in Lagos state, Chief Lateef Arigbaruwo dragged the party to court to challenge the sack of the Hillard led NCW by President Buhari.

Arigbaruwo’s decision demanding for the reinstatement of the sacked NWC has now dug up another battle in the restive ruling party, close watchers of the party say.

In the suit marked FHC/L/CS/789/2020,  Arigbaruwo faulted the NEC meeting of the party presided by President Buhari on June 25.

He wants the court to rule on “whether having regards to Article 25, paragraph B (i) and (ii) of the Constitution of the party, the 24 hours’ notice given by the 2nd defendant for the NEC meeting held on June 25 was valid and legal”.

The APC chieftain is also seeking “an order of the court setting aside all the decisions taken in the NEC meeting, which he declared illegal on the grounds that it was conveyed in the June 24 and held on June 25, contrary to Article 25 of the APC Constitution”.

He prayed the court to make an order restraining the Buni-led caretaker committee from functioning as managers of the party.

He has also asked the court to grant an order directing the sacked NWC to return back to office.

Joined in the suit are Victor Giadom, APC NEC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as respondents.

Meanwhile, keen watchers of the party say this may just be a renewed crisis in the ruling APC, despite promises made by feuding parties to allow peace to reign.

Recall that both Adams Oshiomhole and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the arrowheads of the Etta-led NWC had after the president’s intervention pledge to abide by the decision reached on June 25 by the party’s NEC.

Speaking after the dissolution Oshiomhole said he had no option than to back the president’s decision, adding that he has done his best for the parfty.

He said “The APC under my leadership has done its best and the results are there. Of course we have now been dissolved and I have accepted the that dissolution in good fate.

I am not going into the issue of legality or illegality, the bottom line is the President who invited me to lead the party and gave me all the support and even mobilised all the support across the country for my emergence as chairman also presided over the meeting where the NWC has now been dissolved.

And because I have always assured the President of my loyalty, I know it is easy for people to speak of loyalty when the going is good, but loyalty is brought to the test when the going is getting really tough, so as a demonstration of that loyalty to Mr. President, the loyalty to our party, and loyalty to the Nigerian nation, I have decided to accept the decision in good faith.”

The Buni-led Caretaker Committee also visited Tinubu’s Bourdillon Lagos residence on a reconciliation mission, where the APC National Leader promised to work with the committee to move the party forward.

“There is no crisis in the party, hence, no fight to reconcile,” Tinubu said on July 3 while speaking to journalists after the visit.

But as it seems, the aggrieved members of the party led by the former Lagos governor are still trying to take their own pound of flesh on the president and the party for sacking Etta from office, keen watchers of the party told the magazine.

“There’s no way an APC chieftain in Lagos can drag the party to court without the knowledge and express approval of Jagaban. The former Lagos governor is the Alpha and Omega of the APC in the state, he has the knife and yam, decides who gets what. Nothing can be done by any member of APC in Lagos without his knowledge,” Frank Adebowale, a political analyst said.

Tinubu has been having it rough with a powerful bloc in the APC over the 2023 presidential race analysts say, most recently the sack, on Tuesday of Ibrahim Magu as Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, believed to be part of the plots to frustrate his bid for the presidency.

The renewed legal battle, close watchers of the Bourdillon King, as the APC National Leader is well known, told the magazine is his way of fighting back entrenched interests in the party who are neck deep in frustrating his presidential ambition.