North East APC elders reject suspended SGF’s brother as party chief

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in North East zone has rejected the purported appointment of Mr. Mustapha Salihu, as the national vice chairman of the party. While addressing journalists after a nine hours meeting of the elders forum in Yola, yesterday, the spokesman of the group Alhaji Ayuba Tumba, said that Salihu been the younger brother to the suspended Secretary to Government of the Federation, Mr. Babachir David Lawal, he is not eligible to contest for the office because APC is not a family estate.

“We want to remind those that are working hard to destroy APC because they have registered another political party they want to use in 2019 that our party cannot be converted into a family estate. Babachir David Lawal cannot vacate office and his younger brother takes over, it is no longer a political party, but a family company so we will not allow that to happen in our party.”

He pointed out that the only candidate that was endorsed by APC governors, senators, house of representative members and state party chairmen in five states out of the six states is Alhaji Umar Duhu and that it is only the APC leaders in the zone that have powers to decide on who to appoint as vice chairman.

The elders’ forum warned that the members of the party would not tolerate any action from few greedy individuals at the detriment of the party, saying that the national secretariat should as a matter of urgency address the issues without further delay to avoid disintegration of the party.

“ The days of imposition of unpopular people on people in politics is over, so those that want to use our party to pay back their debt should find another means to settle those they owe,” he stated.

While speaking to journalists on phone from his Abuja home, Alhaji Umar Duhu, who contested for the office with suspended SGF in 2014, said that he was not disturbed by the purported appointment of Salihu since the APC governors, senators and other elected members from the zone legally endorsed him.

He said the election of the national vice chairmen is the sole responsibility of the zone, pointing out that the national secretary has no constitutional powers to give appointment letter to anyone.