The plot to remove the embattled National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, Abudullahi Adamu thickens as the presidency is hell-bent on his removal for his recalcitrant behaviour during the primary election of the party that produced the presidential standard bearer, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
By Miracle Egbo
Abdullahi Adamu, the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC is accused by analysts of being too fragile to manage a political party let alone a ruling party like APC. His fragility was put to test during the presidential primary of his party, his authority as the National Chairman of the party was subverted when his choice at the venue of the primary was roundly rejected by even those who pretended to be loyal to him. At the wake of that primary his regret for being in the opposing camp against the candidature of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been in deluge. Even his regrets appear not to have assuaged the camp of President Tinubu who is all out to humiliate him at every encounter.
During the build-up to who became the principal officers of the National Assembly, Adamu was said to have rooted for the former governor of Zamfara State, Abdullazeez Yari instead of Godswill Akpabio who was the preferred candidate of President Tinubu. An insider at the National Secretariat of the ruling APC told this medium that some members of the National Executive Council, NEC, had to remind him of the implication of what he was about to do before he feebly made the controversial letter he authored listing Akpbio and Tajudeen Abass as the preferred candidates of the party for the seats of the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively. It was gathered that despite writing the open letter supporting Akpabio and Abass, he was alleged to have worked rigorously for the emergence of the former governor of Zamfara, Yari, as the Senate President. His activities according to an inside source did not go down well with the presidency, Akpabio and Abass.
Therefore, when it was time to strike, the duo of Senate President and Speaker House of Representatives ignored the advice of the national chairman of their party when it was time to select Principal Officers of the 10th National Assembly. When Senator Opeyemi Bamidele was selected as the Majority Leader of the National Assembly, Adamu was said to have been miffed, in that rage he went to town to say that all the selected principal officers were mere rumour as the National Secretariat of the party was not aware or not consulted at all. His stand in this regard got the goat of the presidency and governors on the platform of the ruling party. His last challenge to the presidency appeared to have sealed his fate as efforts are alleged to be at top gear to make sure that he is removed in the forthcoming National Convention of the party that is slated to take place sometime early next year. Information has it that some of the die- hard supporters of President Tinubu are insisting that the treatment meted to Senator Adams Oshiomhole, the former National Chairman of the party should be his fate but Tinubu is still studying the situation coupled with what is happening at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, this medium can reveal authoritatively.
The problem of Adamu appears multifaceted. At the National headquarters of the party another acidic squabble is brewing, and it is centered on the lack of accountability as alleged by the National Vice Chairman of the party, North West, Salihu Lukuman. According to Lukuman, Adamu and the National Secretary of the party, Iyiola Omisore are playing ostrich in rendering the account of the party since they took the leadership of the party. He alleged that about N30 billion naira raised during the sale of forms for party members who are vying for various elective positions during the controversial general election cannot be account for as at the time of filing this report. At the well attended press conference in Abuja, Lukuman informed newsmen that the duo of the National Chairman and the National Secretary have made it impossible for the National Executive Council of the party to give accurate account of how the money made from the sales of the forms during the primary of the party sometime last year. He said that as a committed member of the party and a democrat he is not going to watch funds of the party being expended without proper accountability. He alleged that since Mala Buni caretaker committee of the party handed over to them they have not been able to hold proper meeting where the finances of the party would be explained to members.
“We cannot continue as if we are not accountable to the members of the party. I will not be party to that form of shenanigan going at the headquarters of the party, and I am prepared to resist such move in all means legal. Could you imagine that since we came on board we have not held National Executive meeting, National Advisory Committee meeting, and our party constitution mandate us to organize these meetings because it is at the meeting that questions pertaining to the administration of the party’s finances would be raised? Omisore and Adamu were crafty in making sure that such meetings never saw the light of the day because their shady deals would be revealed, and the duos do not want that”, Lukuman explained.
In the allegation raised by the National Vice Chairman, North West, it appears, according to investigation orchestrated by this medium, that the National Executive Council of the party is divided, while most of the members are for the probe of how the funds made from the sales of forms during the primary of the party was used. Even money accruable from the sales of forms in the forthcoming off seasons governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa States, according to the revelation of Lukuman, is shrouded in secrecy, and it is only the National Chairman and the National Secretary of party provide answers as to how the funds from the sales of forms from the off season election was administered.
As it were, Adamu is not only battling to save his name from being linked to the embezzlement of the party’s fund in his care, he is working assiduously hard to warm himself back to the good books of President Tinubu who has vowed to remove him as the National Chairman of the party in matter of months from now. According to an informed Aso Rock source, plans are afoot to replace him. The source further revealed that the presidency has started shopping for his replacement from the North Central.”Adamu’s days as the National Chairman of our great party are numbered and there is no going back. I will not disclose the details of how he is going to be removed but I can assure you that he is on his way out”, reinforced the source.
In home state, Nassarawa State, he is equally having a running battle with the governor Abdullahi Sule. Their spat, according to investigation, is traceable to the dismal performance of Adamu even in his ward during the general election. Sule is said to be miffed at the fact that Adamu could not deliver his ward during the presidential and governorship election in the state, making it obvious that he is not control politically in the state that he governed for eight years.
Whatever is the case the onslaught against the embattled National Chairman of the ruling APC is engaging as it only God would save him from going down in matter of months. It was gathered that governors elected on the platform of the party have equally ganged up against him, insisting that the performance of the party at the last general election is not encouraging, therefore, the party’s architecture has to be reformed to properly reposition the party for victory especially in the forthcoming off season governorship elections slated for November 11, 2023.
