National Chairman and National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu and Senator Iyiola Omisore, have resigned amid controversies surrounding the party’s audit report. Their resignations were confirmed during an emergency meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC). In response to their departure, President Bola Tinubu and APC governors have begun searching for replacements. Senator Abubakar Kyari has assumed the role of Acting National Chairman, and Festus Fuanter has taken over as Acting National Secretary. The NWC members have expressed grievances regarding the handling of the audit report, lack of transparency, and violation of party constitution by Adamu and Omisore. The planned National Caucus and National Executive Committee meetings have been postponed indefinitely. The APC is not currently considering inviting anti-graft agencies to investigate Adamu’s tenure. Plans for a new convention to elect new leaders for the vacant positions will be discussed in the coming days.
Attempts to contact Adamu and Omisore were unsuccessful as they declined calls to their phones. However, Omisore’s lawyer, Kayode Ajulo, stated that he has not been briefed by his client on the issue and that Omisore has not instructed him to take any legal action regarding the party’s developments. Ajulo asserted that Omisore has not resigned and that any letter circulating is likely a memo concerning another matter.
In the wake of Adamu and Omisore’s departures, President Bola Tinubu and the APC governors have initiated the process of finding suitable replacements for the vacant positions. The APC governors and the President are engaging in extensive consultations to compile a list of potential candidates. They will consult with the President before reaching a final decision on the matter.
The governor further alleged that Adamu’s departure was related to his public criticism of decisions made by the President and the party. It is claimed that Adamu’s lack of support for the President during the primaries, as well as his criticism of the selection of National Assembly principal officers and the zoning arrangement, led to his falling out of favor with Tinubu’s associates.
Regarding Omisore, the governor stated that he had a falling out with Tinubu’s camp during the Osun elections. They had initially entrusted him with the task of delivering victory in the Osun governorship poll. Additionally, Lukman had accused Omisore of mismanaging party funds.
On another note, Muiz Banire, a former National Legal Adviser of the APC, suggested that disgruntled NWC members, concerned about Adamu’s misappropriation, maladministration, and highhandedness, may have influenced his decision to resign as the party’s National Chairman. Banire refuted claims that President Tinubu had compelled Adamu to submit his resignation letter due to perceived conflicts during the party primaries and general elections.
Banire, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, stated that the party constitution does not contain provisions on resignations. He suggested that the former national chairman, Adamu, did not resign voluntarily but was possibly forced out of office. During an interview on ChannelsTV PoliticsToday, Banire highlighted the ongoing issues raised by Salihu Lukman, the National Vice Chairman of North-West, regarding the party’s maladministration and fund misappropriation. He speculated that these issues, which have been in the public domain for some time, likely contributed to the resignation of Adamu and Omisore. Banire expressed his belief that the pressure from their colleagues ultimately compelled them to submit their resignations.
Leave a Reply