By Omeiza Ajayi, ABUJA
FOLLOWING the resignation of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, indications, emerged, yesterday, that President Bola Tinubu is “actively shopping” for his replacement.
Vanguard reliably gathered that some of the president’s men were said to have been looking for a suitable replacement for Adamu shortly after Tinubu was elected in February this year.
While Tinubu was said to have soft-pedaled shortly after he was sworn in, preferring instead to take his time before trying to oust Adamu, some chieftains of the party were said to have impressed it on the former governor of Osun State and Interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, to secure the president’s nod to remove Adamu instantly.
APC accounts frozen
The development came on a day when all the bank accounts of the ruling party have been frozen.
Vanguard gathered that the accounts were frozen on the orders of the “Presidency”, days before the embattled chairman was shown the exit. The development has consequently affected the payment of advertisement debts accruing to various media houses covering the party.
Lalong, Almakura tipped
Following Adamu’s resignation, some party sources said the president already has a replacement for Adamu but was consulting some stakeholders in order to make his choice acceptable to all.
“Honestly, if you ask me, I do not know who the person is. You are the one asking me about (James) Faleke and (Tanko) Almakura now. Some are even saying Silas Agara, a former deputy governor of Nasarawa state, but the president is keeping things to his chest and his inner circle, and that is not unexpected. I do not know the people being touted as replacements but I know the president is talking with his inner caucus”, said a top party official.
Another official of the party, who pleaded anonymity, however, said Almakura and the immediate-past Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong are among the two being tipped for the position.
On Monday however, following Adamu’s resignation, some party sources said the president already had a replacement for Adamu but was consulting some stakeholders to make his choice acceptable to all.
“Honestly, if you ask me, I do not know who the person is. You are the one asking me about (James) Faleke and (Tanko) Almakura now. Some are even saying Silas Agara, a former deputy governor of Nasarawa State, but the president is keeping things to his chest and his inner circle, and that is expected.
‘’I do not know the people being touted as replacements but I know the president is talking with his inner caucus,”,said a top party official.
Omisore barred from NWC meeting
Acting National Chairman of the party, Senator Abubakar Kyari, who spoke with journalists after the National Working Committee, NWC, meeting, said APC constitution envisaged a situation like this and had made provisions for filling all vacancies. He said all the vacancies in the NWC, including Adamu’s now-vacant seat, would soon be filled.
Kyari said: “There are procedures for filling the vacancies and I think the procedures, we will kick start that very soon.”
Kyari, who formally confirmed Adamu’s resignation also announced the resignation of the National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore.
He added that meetings of the National Caucus and the National Executive Committee NEC earlier scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, have now been postponed.
He said: “The NWC wishes to inform you of the resignation of the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and that of the National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore.
“With this development and according to the constitution of the All Progressive Congress APC, it is now incumbent on my humble self, Senator Abubakar Kyari as the Deputy National Chairman, North, to assume the office of the acting National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress APC.
“Subsequently also, the Deputy National Secretary, Festus Fuanter will now assume the office of the acting National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress APC.
“With these recent developments in the change of leadership, I will like to inform everybody here that the proposed National Caucus meeting slated for Tuesday, the 18th of July 2023 and the National Executive Committee meeting of the All Progressives Congress, APC, slated for July 19, 2023, is hereby postponed and this postponement will not be indefinite but a new date will be communicated shortly.”
On the allegation of corruption levelled against Adamu and Omisore by the National Vice Chairman, Northwest, Salihu Moh. Lukman, Kyari simply said: “At this point, the individuals have resigned voluntarily and that is what is available at this moment. Reasons for resignations will be made known to you shortly.”
Omisore barred from NWC meeting
Earlier, the Deputy National Organizing Secretary of the party, Nze Chidi Duru, who confirmed Adamu’s resignation, also said the NWC expected Omisore to resign alongside Adamu.
At the NWC meeting presided over by Kyari, Omisore was reportedly barred from entering, even as his parking lot was taken over by his deputy.
Omisore, who left the secretariat as soon as he came in, said he was going to meet Adamu, adding that he did not know why the former Nasarawa Governor was not at the secretariat.
But Duru said the APC as a credible political party would not be affected by current developments.
He said: “I want to also assure Nigerians that APC is a very strong party built on a very strong foundation with credible systems and leadership to continue to transit to the next phase in the life of the party.
“We are not expecting a caretaker committee and I did make the point that meetings are going on across all the caucuses of the party, the various leadership in the party. We know that our constitution has provided adequately, a transition process in the leadership of the party. The Deputy National Chairman, North will assume in an acting capacity the position of the chairman. It is also expected that the office of the secretary of the party will go across the other divide.”
Adamu’s sins
The catalogue of sins listed against Adamu is numerous but his problem started from how he emerged. Adamu, who was never in contention for the National Chairman of the party, was foisted on the APC in March 2022, by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Since then, he had been accused of running the party as a garrison with him as the Commanding Officer.
Addressing APC delegates in Abeokuta in June last year, Tinubu had said without him, Buhari would not have won the presidential election in 2015.
The comment sparked diverse reactions with Adamu accusing Tinubu of not having any “appreciable level of respect” for the office of the president, and that he might be punished if deemed necessary.
Thereafter, Adamu would later go on to seek to foist former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on the NWC as Buhari’s anointed presidential candidate.
Expectedly, the move was fiercely resisted by some members of the NWC and party stakeholders.
Again, in the lead-up to the election of the Presiding Officers of the 10th National Assembly, Adamu had subtly castigated Tinubu’s choice of Senators Godswill Akpabio/Barau Jibrin as Senate President and Deputy Senate President, as well as Mr Tajudeen Abbas/Benjamin Kalu as House Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively.
Thereafter, he also disclaimed the party’s choice of principal officers for both the Senate and the House, saying the officials as announced by Akpabio and Abbas were unknown to the party.
Source: Vanguard
