Crisis Hits APM Amid N16m Diversion Allegation

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Crisis has struck the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) with its National Executive Committee (NEC) passing a vote of no confidence on the Board of Trustees (BoT) amid N16 million diversion allegation.

The crisis came to the fore at the NEC meeting at the party’s secretariat in Abuja yesterday. The meeting presided over by its National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle allegedly found the BoT guilty of deficiency.

In a communique signed by 30 state chairmen after the meeting, the NEC said the BoT could not perform her official functions and was suspended in its entirety until further notice.
However, the NEC passed a vote of confidence on the national chairman, Yusuf Dantalle to continue to lead the party NWC.

Announcing the suspension yesterday, Dantalle noted that the NEC reviewed the constitutional structure, duties and activities of the BOT as enshrined in Article 9 Section A2 (A-K) of APM Constitution.

He said: “We have resolved that the BOT of our party as presently constituted is deficient, ineffective and cannot perform her official functions as clearly stated in our constitution and consequently.”

He, therefore, said: “We have decided to unanimously pass a vote of no confidence and suspend the entire BOT until further notice.”

However, the BoT Chairman, Mohammed Bagana said the BOT sack is not unconnected with the accusation of diversion of over N16 million party’s fund against the national chairman.

Bagana alleged that his sack and that of the other BOT members was a smokescreen to cover-up the fraud perpetrated by the chairman, who had diverted over N16 million belonging to the party into his personal account.

Bagana said he remained the BoT chairman despite the vote of no confidence passed on him, adding that he could not be removed by Dantalle whom he brought to the party.
He said: “I am not suspended because I am a stakeholder of this party. No one can suspend me. I brought the national chairman.

My offence is that I always insist that he should carry his people along and there will be peace.

“He got money from Ogun State. He said there was no money for the party. Where is the money going? We have the record of the party account. No money has ever been paid into it. He diverted any money that comes into his personal use”.

“For the nomination form, he diverted all the money in millions up to N16 million to his personal account from Anambra State,” Bagana added.