Lukman Counters Omisore, Says NEC’s Approval Not Needed to Constitute Advisory Council

•Insists party leadership starved Tinubu, other party candidates of funds

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), North-West, Dr. Salihu Lukman, has said that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party does not need the approval of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to Constitute the National Advisory Council (NAC) of the party.

The ruling party had in 2022 replaced the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party with the NAC, but more than oone year after the Senator Abdulahi Adamu-led NWC assumed office, the ruling party has not constituted NAC.

But while speaking on a national television on Tuesday night, the National Secretary of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore said the NWC would seek the approval of NEC for the constitution of NAC.

Reacting, during a media briefing with select journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, Lukman said Omisore was either incompetent in the running of the affairs of the party or he was ignorant.

 “I listened to Omisore, it is either he displayed incompetence or ignorance on the running of the party. He said we are going to NEC with a proposal for a National Advisory Council. Go and read the constitution, we don’t need the approval of NEC to do that. These things are straight forward. It is not rocket science. It’s either you are ready to do it or not.

“It is clearly spelt out in Article 13 (b) and the composition is very clear -former president, former senate president etc. There is even a proviso that if the person is indicted for criminal offence he is excluded. This is in the constitution so why are we debating it?

“We don’t have to go to NEC to do that. That was why we were elected in March and by April 2022 , we should have had a national advisory council. If the organ was operational maybe all the issues I raised would have been addressed because they are the conscience of the party,” he stated.

Lukman noted that some of the issues for the consideration of NEC included quarterly reports of the party’s activities to NEC; presentation of financial reports of the party, as well as  presentation of proposed national budget of the party ,among others.

The party chieftain also lamented that the leadership of the party starved President Bola Tinubu and other candidates of the party in the 2023 elections of funds.

He said when Adams Oshiomhole was the chairman of the party, he ensured that every candidate of the party in thee 2019 elections was given financial support.

Lukman added: “Talking of national budget, we are just coming out of elections whereby we are not able to sustain past precedence. What was the past precedence? Under Adams Oshiomhole in 2019 every candidate of the party received something from the national secretariat.

“This last election, no candidate of the candidate received a dime from the party. Talking of finances in our constitution, the NEC is supposed to approve some form of sharing formula.

“I am aware that each state chapter has received about N20 million out of the N30 billion, put together that is about N700 million less than a billion which is less than 3 per cent of the total income that has been earned.

“Yet we want to sweep this under the carpet. We are having states, zonal, local councils and ward levels which are left on their own. The whole question of funding of the party has not been addressed,” he added.