By Dayo Omoogun
In a move that suggests that the Presidency has thrown its weight behind the leadership of Chief Victor Giadom –led faction of the People’s Democratic Party,
the spokesman to the President, Malam Garba Shehu announced Wednesday that his principal, President Muhammadu Buhari, will attend the National Executive Committee meeting scheduled for Thursday (today).
This was revealed in a series of tweets on Malam Garba Shehu’s tweeter handle yesterday. He said the President had received very strong legal advice concerning the lingering leadership crisis in the ruling party that suggests that Chief Giadom’s way is the proper one.
“The President has received very convincing advice on the position of the law as far as the situation in the party is concerned and has determined that the law is on the side of Victor Giadom as Actin National chairman”, Garba Shehu tweeted.
He cautioned the media to be more circumspect in its interpretation of the laws regarding the matter in order not to aggravate the situation.
“We urge the media to stop promoting manufactured controversies and to not give further room to mischievous interpretations of the law on this matter”, he said.
He diplomatically rallied others to support the stance and to attend the meeting as he tweeted further “In addition to the President, the Giadom meeting will, hopefully, be attended by our Governors and the leaders of the National Assembly”.
It is not clear how this will affect the candidacy of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as the party’s Gubernatorial flag bearer in the forthcoming Edo 2020 elections as Giadom had consistently maintained before now that the Primaries that produced him stands cancelled.
Analysts see this development as a big blow to the Oshiomhole/ Ajimobi / Eta faction of the National Working Committee and by extension the Tinubu 2023 Presidency aspiration.
The meeting which is billed to hold at the State House is expected to be attended by some physically while many others will be participating virtually.