*Says Giadom Remains APC Acting Nat’l Chairman
By Osahon Osahon
Counsel to Chief Victor Giadom, the Deputy National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Oluwole Afolabi, has described the alleged suspension and expulsion of Giadom by the Rivers State chapter of the APC as “ineffective and contemptuous.”
He said no political party has the right to suspend member while in court asserting his right as a member of that party.
Afolabi stated that the suspended Giadom remains the acting national chairman of the APC in line with the party’s constitution.
The Rivers APC earlier on Sunday announced the suspension and expulsion of Giadom from the party for alleged gross infractions against the party’s constitution.
But in a statement on Sunday signed by Giadom’s counsel described the suspension and expulsion as a nullity as it runs contrarily to the provisions of the constitution.
ALSO READ: Rivers APC Suspends Victor Giadom From Party
Giving reasons why his client cannot be suspended by the state chapter of the party, Afolabi said Giadom’s alleged suspension was contemptuous of the order of the FCT High Court issued on 16th of March, 2020, by Hon. Justice S.U Bature in Suit No. FCT/HC/M/6447/2020.
According to it, “Our attention has been drawn to a Statement purportedly issued by a Livingstone Wechie, Media Adviser to the APC Rivers state Chairman, Chief Igo Aguma to the effect that the Acting National Chairman of APC, Chief Victor Giadom has been suspended from the Party.
“We wish to state that the statement and the purported expulsion were done contemptuously of the order of the FCT High Court issued on 16th of March, 2020, by Hon. Justice S.U Bature in Suit No. FCT/HC/M/6447/2020 which imbued Chief Victor Giadom with the authority to act as the National Chairman of the Party following the suspension of Adams Oshiomhole as the National Chairman.
“The law is trite that a member of a political party cannot be suspended from the party while he’s in court asserting a vested right as a member of the party. By attempting to suspend Chief Giadom from the party, the characters involved are trying to force a fait accompli on the court and thereby tie the hands of the court.
“A similar conduct orchestrated by the PDP to expel RT. Hon. Amaechi from the party while he was in court challenging the results of the Rivers State Governorship election was condemned and rejected by the Supreme Court.
“The purported expulsion of Chief Giadom is ineffective and contemptuous.”
YOU MAY ALSO READ: Edo 2020: South-South Governors Are Solidly Behind You, Okowa Assures Obaseki
The statement urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and the reading public to disregard the alleged suspension and expulsion.
“We hereby urge INEC, law enforcement agencies and the general public to disregard the news of the purported expulsion of Chief Victor Giadom.
“In line with the provisions of the Constitution of the APC, as affirmed by the Order of S.I.U. Bature J. and a plethora of legal authorities, Chief Victor Giadom remains the Acting National Chairman of the APC” Afolabi further added.
