Banners displaying the pictures of the embattled chairman of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole at the party secretariat in Abuja, have been removed.

The billboard with the picture of President Muhammadu Buhari and Oshiomhole, at the entrance of the party secretariat has also been replaced.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has scheduled hearing for Monday (March 16) in the appeal by the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole against his suspension.

Oshiomhole is, by his appeal, seeking among others, the reversal of his suspension by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Justice Danlami Senchi, in an interlocutory ruling last Wednesday, ordered among others, that Oshiomhole should desist from parading himself as the APC Chairman.

The Nation learnt on Thursday that the Court of Appeal’s Registry communicated the hearing date to parties via hearing notices sent to them earlier this week.

Oshiomhole, in his appeal, raised four grounds on which he is challenging the ruling by Justice Senchi.

He argued that the judge erred in law and arrived at a wrong conclusion which occasioned a miscarriage of justice when the court placed him on suspension at an interlocutory stage of a suit instituted against him by some aggrieved members of the party.

Oshiomhole also argued that the High Court further erred in law when it decided that he, in the performance of his duties as APC National Chairman, would interfere in the court action filed against him by the aggrieved members.

He argued that the issue of duties as APC National Chairman is a matter which arose from substantive issues for determination and claim and ought not to have been determined at the interlocutory stage of the main matter.
Oshiomhole claimed that the trial judge erred in law and arrived at a wrong conclusion which occasioned a miscarriage when after ordering the filing of pleadings and immediately set down motion for interlocutory injunction for hearing in the absence of pleadings.

He further faulted the suspension order against him on the grounds that the trial court determined the motion for interlocutory injunction without recourse to triable issues which ought to have been discerned from pleadings.

Respondents in the appeal are: APC National Vice Chairman (Northeast) Mustapha Saliu, Edo State APC Chairman, Honourable Anselm Ojezua, Alhaji Sani Gomna, Mr Oshawo Stephen, Mr. Fani Wabulari and Mr. Princewill Ejogharado.

Others are the Inspector General of Police and the State Security Service.

Following the panic generated over his planned return to Imo State, former governor of the state, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha has cancelled his scheduled return.

He also accused the state government of hiding under the guise of his return to cause mayhem and arrest his supporters.

The All Progressive Congress (APC) had on Wednesday accused Ihedioha and the People’s Democratic Party of plotting to use his return to carry out another protest against the Supreme Court review judgement as well as visiting mayhem on the state.

In view of that alarm, the State Police Commissioner, Bolaji Fafowora issued a statement warning against any gathering, warning that the ban on protests and rallies was yet to be lifted.

But, in a release issued personally Thursday morning by Ihedioha, the former governor said contrary to what the government wanted the public to believe, the government was planning the arrest and detention of his supporters and visit mayhem on the expected crowd coming to welcome him as well as turn around to stigmatize his party with the toga of violence.

He said the postponement of his return to the state was in line with his non-violence stance because his visit was not worth the life of any citizen of the state.

Ihedioha noted that since the January 14 judgment that ousted him from office, he was yet to visit the State.

He said he was unaware that he had been banished from the State.

He said, “While I have in recent weeks elected to stay away from family and friends in Imo, I am not aware that I have been exiled out of the state”.

According to the former Governor, he had planned to participate in the ongoing Congresses of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday.

He said, “Unfortunately, the statement by the Imo State government, made several spurious allegations, including that I plan to lead violent protests as well as import thugs to perpetrate violence. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am not, and have never been, a violent person. My reputation is that of peace and fair play. I have never propagated or tolerated violence. And I never will.

“On the contrary, I have been informed that the government of Imo State, acting in concert with some rogue elements within the security apparatus, is planning the arrest and detention of many of our supporters and to visit mayhem on the expected large crowd which they anticipate will come out to welcome me back home. By judging me by their own character, their scheme is to stigmatize and garb us in the toga of violence. These are the tendencies of unpopular and illegitimate regimes.

“It is therefore for the foregoing reasons that I have decided to postpone my trip to Owerri so as to frustrate their evil plans and machinations. My visit is not worth the life of any Imo citizen. However, the massive deployment of security personnel by the government as well as thugs cannot deter us and the majority of our people from pursuing our collective vision for a better Imo State”.

He however maintained that as a Nigerian citizen, he has the right to freedom of speech and movement, saying nobody can take that away, even as he disclosed that he will visit the state at a later date which according to him will be very soon.