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| Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki |
The National Vice-Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) South-South, Prince Hilliard Eta has directed leaders from the geo-political zone not to attend Thursday consultative meeting summoned by Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki.
The APC leader said the meeting was not only illegal but that the governor has no powers to call such meeting.
Eta in a telephone interview with reporters, he said that Governor Obaseki has sent letters of invitation to leaders of the party in the zone, to attend a Consultative meeting he planned for Thursday at Edo State Governor’s lodge in Abuja.
He said he gathered that the meeting was to discuss the issue of the National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, whom he vowed to ensure he is removed as chairman.
Reacting, the National Vice Chairman said, “I saw the invitation the governor is sending out to people inviting them for a meeting. But I am calling on all our party leaders to shun the meeting because he has no right to convene such meeting. I am the South-South Vice Chairman of the party and any APC leadership meeting is convened by me.
“I have also communicated to our political leader in the zone, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and he is not aware of any such meeting. So we are calling on all our leaders not to attend any such meeting because it is ill conceived and ill motivated.
“Governor Obaseki is not an officer of the party. He cannot call such zonal meeting without my office. Consultative forum meeting is alien to our party’s constitution. May be the governor is only calling his friends to come together, but not an APC meeting. For me no party leader from the zone will attend the meeting”.
Dismissing the meeting, the Vice Chairman maintained that every patriotic member of the party should at this critical period be concerned with how to support the National leadership of the party.
“At this point in time we are focusing on how to strengthen our great party under the leadership of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and not to destabilize the party.
“We urge all stakeholders including governor Obaseki to follow the constitution of the party which is supreme because any meeting called by him without the proper procedure is null and void,” he declared.
It will be recalled that last Sunday, the leadership of the party in the zone unanimously endorsed and passed vote of confidence on Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, the national chairman of the party.
