• States’ party chairmen divided over suspension

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday met behind closed doors with the suspended National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, conspicuously absent.

The Guardian learnt that the March 17, 2020 emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, billed to be attended by President Muhammadu Buhari, topped the agenda of the issues discussed at the parley.

Meanwhile, the party’s state chairmen forum appeared to be divided on the issue of the suspension order slammed on Oshiomhole.

Publicity Secretary of the forum, Mr. Lawal Liman, dissociated himself from what he termed “the fraudulent vote of confidence” passed on Oshiomhole by the forum’s Chairman, Ali Bukar Dalori and Secretary, Dr. Ben Nwoye, on Monday.

He said that it was untrue that state chairmen actually met in Abuja and endorsed Oshiomhole’s continuous stay in office.

He said that he had been inundated with calls by some chairmen to find out the veracity of the statement.

Liman, who enjoined party members to wait for the outcome of pending court cases on the issue of Oshiomhole’s suspension, expressed optimism that the crisis rocking the party would soon be resolved.

He said: “I want to confirm to my colleagues that there was no meeting held and there was no statement issued to pass a vote of confidence on the national chairman.

“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.”