Etta

The Hillard Eta led National Working Committee of All Progressives Congress, APC said on Wednesday that President Muhammadu Buhari was deceived to agree to attend the National Executive Committee of the party scheduled for Thursday.

The NEC was convened by Victor Giadom, the deputy national secretary of the party who claim that he has a court order to act as the national chairman of APC.

President Buhari agreed to attend the contention because he was convinced that Giadom has a solid legal ground in his claim to the chairmanship of the party, his spokesperson, Garba Shehu said in a statement.

But members of the NWC said the NEC as convened by Giadom was illegal and unconstitutional and they will therefore not be part of it in a four- paragraph statement jointly signed by Acting National Chairman, Ntufam Hillard Etagbo Eta and Acting National Secretary Arc. Waziri Bulama.

The statement reads: “We wish to unequivocally state that members of the National Working Committee (NWC) believe that the President was offered wrong advice or blackmailed into lending his weighty office to the illegality of the National Executive Committee meeting purportedly convened by one Victor Giadom on 25th June, 2020.

“We hereby respectfully implore Mr. President to kindly avail himself with facts of the matter regarding the impasse presently experienced by the party so as to guide him in his assessment of the matter because we are sure that the President, if properly advised, would come to the conclusion that the meeting convened by Chief Victor Giadom bothers on illegality and criminality.

“The National Working Committee (NWC) regrets to turn down the invitation to the illegal and unconstitutional National Executive Committee (NEC) convened by Chief Victor Giadom.

“We believe that attending such a meeting will amount to embracing illegalities and turning a blind eye to the infractions on the Constitution of our great Party.”