By Kolawole Ojebisi
A Rivers High Court has restrained former Deputy National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Victor Giadom from parading himself as a member or officer of the party.
Justice C. Nwogu gave the order in Port-Harcourt in a suit which has Okechukwu Chidor Ogbonna and Mac-Lords Peterson as plaintiffs and APC Rivers chapter; Acting chairman of the Chapter Igo Aguma; Victor Giadom and Golden Chioma as defendants.
The court stated that having been suspended by the State Executive Committee (SEC) of APC, Giadom should not participate in the activities of the party pending determination of the substantive case.
The judge ruled: “An order of interim order is hereby made restraining the third defendant from parading himself as an officer or member… or exercising any right or privilege accruable to members….”
The Judge adjourned further hearing in the suit to July, 9 2020.
Recall that the suspension of Adams Oshiomhole as the National Chairman of the APC has triggered a litany of claims and counterclaims which reportedly accentuated the fault lines in the party.
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The All Progressives Congress (APC) had announced former Oyo State governor, Abiola Ajibola, as the Acting National Chairman of the party after the suspension of Adams Oshiomhole was upheld by the appellate court.
Victor Giadom, however, in a swift reaction countered the NWC members by declaring himself as the Acting National Chairman. He cited a prayer he was granted by FCT High Court by Hon.Justice Bature in a suit he filed against Oshiomhole.
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According to Giadom, the court ruled that he should take over as Acting National Chairman of the party the day he granted a temporary respite by staying the execution of the order suspending Oshiomhole.
The APC, however, dismissed his claim as ‘false’ by saying he resigned his post as deputy National Secretary of the party to contest as deputy governor in Rivers state governorship election.
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The party however announced Eta Hilliard as a stand-in for Ajimobi who according to the party is ” unavoidably absent”.
The power tussle however deepened when the party relieved Giadom of his position as the Deputy National Secretary and asked the Rivers APC to submit another name for the position.
APC Rivers had since forwarded the name of Barrister Worgu Boms as replacement for Giadom. Boms was sworn in by the National Working Committee (NWC) on Monday.