APC chieftains explain why Adamu was removed as Progressives take over
• Duru rules out appointment of caretaker committee
• Adamu not dragged to EFCC, says Kyari
• APC NWC meeting postponed indefinitely
• Buharists now orphans in APC, says Shehu Sani
For the embattled national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and the national scribe, Senator Iyiola Omisore, it was fait accompli that was doomed to happen.
After several weeks of intrigues in the six-week President Bola Tinubu administration, the night of ‘long knives’ eventually caught up with the duo at the weekend, when, according to sources, they had to comply with the ‘advice to resign’ coming from the top.
The APC chairman was advised to throw in the towel by Hope Uzodinma, governor of Imo State and chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF).
The civilian coup, it was gathered, was to pave the way for the progressive arm of the party to “fully take charge” to complement President Tinubu’s agenda for the country.
Recall that three main elements – Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), championed by Tinubu; Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), spearheaded by former President Muhammadu Buhari and a splinter group of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) known then as nPDP – coalesced to form the APC.
Adamu is going down in history as the shortest-lived elected chairman of APC. He spent 15 months in office. Pa Bisi Akande, interim National Chairman of APC, who was appointed, not elected, spent a year in that capacity.
But Adamu’s tenure was not up to the two-year period of Governor Mai Mala Buni of Borno State, who like Akande was not elected chairman but held forth in interim capacity. Other elected chairman, John Odigie Oyegun and Adams Oshiohmole served out their terms of four years.
The Guardian gathered yesterday that the plan to oust Adamu began as soon as the national leader of the party won the Presidential election on February 25 because of “anti-progressive tendencies, which Adamu represents in the party” and his inability to understand that there is a new sheriff in town.
A reliable source and one of the founding members of the party said: “You know the party was formed by both progressives and conservative politicians with the purpose to end the PDP years of misrule. And you know that the conservatives have been heading the party apart from the period when the former governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole was the chairman.
“I can assure you that you will soon see new leadership of the party that share the same political ideology of progressivism with the President. Nigerians know that Adamu cannot work with Tinubu and Omisore, who was expected to represent the Progressives camp but the party executive did not perform as expected.”
APC yesterday confirmed the resignation of Adamu and Omisore, affirming that the Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Abubakar Kyari, has taken over in acting capacity.
Kyari made this known to reporters in Abuja after an emergency meeting of members of the National Working committee (NWC) of the party held at the national secretariat in Abuja.
Kyari explained that his resolve to occupy the national chairmanship seat in acting capacity was in tandem with the party’s constitution.
He also disclosed that the deputy national secretary of the party, Festus Fuanter, has taken over the place of Omisore, pending when he would be replaced by the party in due course.
The Borno State-born politician disclosed that the caucus and National Executive Council (NEC) meeting earlier scheduled to hold today and tomorrow has been postponed indefinitely, adding that a new date for the parley would be communicated in due course.
He said: “With these recent developments in the change of leadership, I would like to inform everybody here that the proposed National Caucus meeting slated for Tuesday, 18th of July and the National Executive Committee meeting of the APC slated for Wednesday night are hereby postponed. This postponement will not be indefinite but a new date will be communicated in the near future.”
He also faulted the stories making the round that the party has reached out to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe Adamu over alleged misapplication of over N80 billion from the purse of the party within the last one year.
He said: “At this point, the individuals have resigned voluntarily and that is what is available at this moment. Reasons for resignations will be made to you in the near future.”
Kyari also declined to shed light on the reason behind the sudden resignation of Adamu, but assured that the NWC under his watch would turn a new leaf by administering the party in line with laid down rules and regulations.
Party sources disclosed that failure to abide by the ‘advice to resign’, Adamu and Omisore were to face a vote of no confidence by NWC members yesterday afternoon following which they would be sacked by the NEC, to be chaired by Tinubu on Wednesday.
There has been a cold war between Tinubu and Adamu since the former governor of Nasarawa State was elected party chairman in March 2022.
But the final straw, according to insiders, was Adamu’s failure to account for the N32 billion raised by the party from the sale of forms for the 2023 general elections.
Some party members said Adamu laid the foundation for his ignominious sack after he vowed to stop at nothing in ensuring the disqualification of Tinubu from contesting the presidential election on the platform of the party.
“Only N7 billion is left in the account as we speak,” a NWC member told newsmen. Adamu and Omisore claimed the account has been audited, but we are not aware of when the auditors were appointed. How can NWC not be aware of the appointment? It is part of our responsibilities to appoint auditors.”
Sensing the move to remove him, Adamu had reportedly sought the support of the chairmen of the state chapters of the party last week.
Before the N32 billion question became a bone of contention, Adamu’s exit appeared imminent. While Tinubu supported Tanko Al Makura, also a former governor of Nasarawa State, for the position of national chairman, party leaders loyal to former President Buhari rooted for Adamu. This was thought to be the first move to stop Tinubu from winning the party’s presidential ticket.
Ahead of the APC presidential primary in June 2022, Tinubu complained bitterly that he was being betrayed despite the fact that a gentleman’s agreement was sealed in 2015 for him to succeed Buhari.
His outburst, popularly known as “emi l’okan” (“it’s my turn”), enraged Adamu who threatened that the party would “discipline” him.
In the week of the primary, Adamu informed NWC members that Ahmad Lawan, then Senate President, was Buhari’s preferred presidential candidate. The move was met with protests and condemnation from some quarters, but he stood his ground.
It took the intervention of the Governor Atiku Bagudu-led Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF) to move against Adamu’s antics by coming up with a countermeasure in persuading President Buhari to not only throw the contest for the presidential ticket open, but zone the presidency to the southern part of the country.
After the dust of the primary had settled, Adamu in his letter to Tinubu’s 422-member campaign council expressed astonishment and regret, over the composition of the list of appointees. He stressed that the purported list not only came as a complete surprise to the NWC and the party’s leadership but also contravened the principles and purposes of the arrangements that he and Tinubu had led towards the adoption of the organogram of the council and its principal officials. This already showed a body language that was hostile to the then Candidate Tinubu.
Adamu’s inability to deliver his home state of Nasarawa to the party, worsened by the fact that he failed to deliver not only his Senatorial district but his polling unit in the general elections further diminished whatever remains of his relevance to the party
With Tinubu on the saddle, the election of the presiding and principal officers of the National Assembly also caused another round of face-off between him and the presidency.
“When the 10th National Assembly was about to be inaugurated, it was the APC leadership that was supposed to work behind the scenes for the leadership election. Adamu and Omisore were aloof. In fact, it was a known fact that Adamu was supporting Abdulaziz Yari. As if that was not enough, when the committee positions were announced, Adamu openly dissociated himself from the list. He had it coming,” an NWC member disclosed yesterday.
Meanwhile, the Deputy National Organising Secretary of APC, Nze Duru, has ruled out the possibility of a caretaker committee taking over from the duly elected executive members of the party.
He said: “We are not expecting a caretaker committee and I did make the point that meetings are going on across all the caucuses of the party, the various leadership in the party. We know that our constitution has provided adequately, a transition process in the leadership of the party.
“It is also expected that the office of the secretary of the party will go across the other divide.”
Omisore, who was chauffeur driven to the party secretariat at about 11:20a.m was said to have handed out his resignation letter to party officials.
Members of the NWC who attended a closed door meeting include Duru, Suleiman Arugungu Duru; Disable Leader, Tolu Bankole; Deputy National Chairman, South, Emma Eneukwu; National Vice-Chairman, North-east, Salihu Mustapha; National Vice-Chairman, North-west, Dr. Salihu Lukman.
APC former acting national chairman, Prince Hilliard Eta, has welcomed the resignation of Adamu as a good development for the party. He remarked that the party cannot afford to keep a party leader that is not on the same page with the President.
Besides, he remarked that the mere fact that Adamu was installed as chairman of the party when President Buhari held sway was another reason why he must give way for a like-minded national chairman with President Tinubu.
“We need a chairman on the same page with the President to deliver good governance to Nigerians. We can’t have a national chairman who is always antagonistic to our government. This is a structure put in place in the previous administration. We need a structure that understands our ideology and philosophy in place. We are not unhappy that Adamu had to quit the state now.”
The National Vice Chairman North West, Dr Salihu Lukman, who was a thorn in the flesh of Adamu and Iyiola, insisted that it is no longer in the best interest of the party to have the duo as national officers of the party.
Lukman cited Omisore’s failure to deliver his home state of Osun in the presidential, governorship, national and state Assemblies elections in spite of all the logistics support at his disposal as strong reasons why his services were no longer required in the party.
He described both Adamu and Omisore as emperors who have arrogated to themselves the knowledge of running the party in breach of the party constitution.
Former lawmaker, Shehu Sani, has mocked former President Buhari’s camp in the APC over the resignation of Adamu. Sani, in a post via his verified Twitter handle on Monday, following confirmation of Adamu’s resignation, made a veiled remark mocking Buhari’s supporters in the APC. “The Buharists are now orphans; they are purged in their party,” he wrote.
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