•Says highly placed leaders worked against APC candidates
•Party leadership refuses to recognise Omo-Agege’s suspension
Adedayo Akinwale and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
Crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC), took a dramatic turn on Monday as the APC National Vice Chairman, North-West, Dr. Salihu Lukman, has accused the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and the National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, of turning other members of the NWC of to rubber stamp.
Lukman, in a statement, yesterday, decried the fact that the National Advisory Council (NAC) of the party had not been inaugurated more than a year after the Adamu-led NWC assumed office, saying the duo of Adamu and Omisore take all decisions bordering on managing the finances of the party without the knowledge of other NWC members.
He also alleged that most highly placed members of the party worked against candidates of the party in the just concluded national elections, just as the national leadership of the APC has refused to recognise the purported suspension of the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege in Delta State.
He stressed that the constitution of the party under Article 13.2B.(i) stipulated that, “The National Secretary shall, not later than one month after an elective convention, convene the meeting of the National Advisory Council,” but added that one year after assuming office, Omisore has never proposed any action towards the inauguration of NAC.
The party chieftain said there was only one meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) held on April 8, 2022, noting that there was never any meeting of the National Caucus.
According to him, instead, meetings of the NWC held without necessarily ensuring that existing constitutional provisions were respected, adding that, in the circumstance, critical functions of the NEC, which included approving the national budget of the party as provided in Article 13.3A(xiv) of the party’s Constitution was ignored.
“We are yet to, as NWC, declare to any organ of the party how much we inherited from His Excellency, Mai Mala-led Caretaker Committee and how much was received as donations and contributions for the 2023 elections. Large-scale expenditures, which include the renovation of the National Secretariat complex are being undertaken without any organ of the party exercising the powers of due diligence.
“As a member of the NWC, I can say without fear of contradiction, all decisions bordering on managing the finances of the party are being taken by the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and the National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore. Most members of NWC are reduced to onlookers or at best rubber stamp.
“All appeals for accountability have fallen on deaf ears. Decision of the NWC to convene NEC meeting in August last year was simply sabotaged,” he said, warning that once the party’s constitution was no longer the guide for managing the affairs of the party, discretionary decisions of leaders took over.
Lukman said even what gets paid to party officials and organs becomes acts of benevolence by the national chairman or anyone he delegates, adding that party staff were hired and fired by Adamu and Omisore without reporting to any organ, including the NWC.
He therefore, called on the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, to immediately intervene to restore constitutional order in the management of the party affairs, pointing out that it would be a mockery to continue to bear the name progressive and continue to run affairs of the party based on the personal discretion of Adamu and Omisore.
“There is also the challenge of urgently reviewing the performance of the party in the 2023 general elections. One of the issues that should be addressed as a matter of urgency is the case of indiscipline by party leaders at all levels. There are highly placed party leaders who have worked against our candidates during the 2023 general elections. This should be investigated, and appropriate disciplinary actions taken in line with provisions of our party’s constitution,” Lukman added.
He also expressed displeasure over the inability of the NWC to activate the process of convening meetings of NEC to appropriately take decisions and regulate the emergence of the 10th National Assembly leadership.
Meanwhile, the APC has refuted reports of the suspension of Omo-Agege from the party.
National Publicity Secretary of APC, Felix Morka, who spoke to the Vanguard Newspaper, said the APC national did not recognise the factional executive of the party, who announced the purported expulsion of Omo-Agege from the APC in Delta state.
A faction of the APC in the Delta Central Senatorial District, had suspended Omo-Agege, and urged the national secretariat of the party to ratify its decision.
Vice-Chairman of the Delta Central Senatorial District, Sir Michael Oruafe, confirmed the development in a statement in Abuja on Monday, saying the executive of the party in the Senatorial District was already in possession of the receipt of Omo-Agege’s expulsion from his ward.
Oruafe said Omo-Agege, who was the candidate of the APC in the just concluded governorship election in Delta State, did not appeal seven days after he was expelled, as such, the local government had to approve the expulsion, and forwarded same to the state.
But Omo-Agege, through his media aide, Ima Niboro, has described the suspension as fake. He told THISDAY that the people who announced the suspension were unknown to the party in the state.
He said, “The suspension is fake. You know this is not the executive committee of the State Chapter. No one knows who these people are. There are no factions in Delta APC.”
