APC vice-chairman: Oshiomhole made an illegal appointment after court suspension

Salihu Mustapha, national vice-chairman (north-east) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the party, is seeking to cause more trouble. 

A federal capital territory (FCT) high court on Wednesday suspended Oshiomhole as the party’s national chairman

Addressing journalists on Wednesday, Mustapha said immediately after the court issued its judgement suspending Oshiomhole, he (Oshiomhole) instructed Lanre Isa-Onilu, the party’s national spokesman, to issue a statement announcing Waziri Bulama as acting national secretary of the party.

Mustapha and Oshiomhole have been at loggerheads over the choice of Bulama as the party’s secretary.

The vice-chairman, who backed the court’s decision to sack Oshiomhole, said his appointment of Bulama is illegal.

“Immediately the court injunction was given, the national chairman has called the party’s chief press secretary (National Publicity Secretary) to issue a statement to the press that Waziri Bulama is the (acting) secretary,” Mustapha said.

“I believe you are aware of the meeting held about a month ago on that matter, which ended without a decision. Since then there has not been a decision as to the replacement of the secretary.

“The chairman is about to create more chaos within the party as he gave the order.

“The public should know that any decision that Oshiomhole makes henceforth is an illegal decision and will not hold.

“We will keep our fingers crossed until the court decides. I am saying this so that there can be no two acting National Secretaries and there can be no affirmation from a national chairman that has been suspended.”

Asked whether he would accept the choice of Bulama as national secretary should the party take that position, Mustapha said; “the party cannot accept Bulama, who is the party? The person that should hold that position must be the most senior person in the party.”

Issa-Onilu could not be reached for reaction on the claim of Mustapha as of the time of filing this report.