The National Vice Chairman, North-west of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Salihu Lukman has accused the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdulahi Adamu and National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore of squandering the sum of N30 billion realised during the sales of forms for the 2023 elections.
Lukman in a statement issued Friday titled; ‘Rebuilding the APC to Reform Nigerian Politics: Task Before President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’, also accused Adamu of running the affairs of the party like a garrison commander.
He stressed that with the election of principal officers in the National Assembly completed, President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, being the leader of the party should prioritise rebuilding the APC.
He added that prioritising rebuilding the APC to return it to its founding vision is basically about ensuring that all the organs of the party are constituted and allowed to function in line with the provisions of the APC constitution.
The party chieftain recalled that since the time of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun as the National Chairman, the National Executive Committee (NEC), which by the provisions of Article 13.3 A is empowered ‘to be the principal executive body of the party’ has not been meeting quarterly as provided under the APC constitution.
According to him, In fact, between 2015 and today, not more than eight meetings of NEC were held, when if the statutory requirement of quarterly meetings provided under the APC constitution has been respected, not less than thirty NEC meetings would have been held. He noted that as it is now, the management of the party is limited to the discretion of Adamu, addi g that when it is convenient he involves members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
Lukman stressed that in few cases, Adamu gets the NWC to legitimise his decisions when the APC constitution only assigns administrative responsibility of implementing decisions of superior organs such as the NEC, National Caucus and National Advisory Council (NAC) to the NWC.
He expressed worry that since the formation of APC in 2013, the party’s Board of Trustees now renamed National Advisory Council (NAC) was never constituted.
The party chieftain pointed out that not more than five meetings of the National Caucus were held, while none has been held under Adamu.
Lukman noted that lower organs of the party such as Zonal Executive Committees, Zonal Congresses, Working Committees, Executive Committees, Congresses at states, local governments and wards suffer the same problems.
He said: “The sad reality is that the APC as constituted today is only a shadow of itself with a National Chairman that is highly unaccountable running affairs of the party more as a garrison commander.
“He relates with his colleagues in the NWC just like his appointees. In their name he meets other leaders of the party and seeks to manipulate party decisions to suit personal vested interests that are only known to him.
“Beyond all these is also a clear case of reckless financial management of the party. With more than N30 billion realised during the sales of forms for the 2023 elections, Sen. Adamu and Sen. Omisore have embarked on spending extravaganza based on their discretionary decisions without any form of budget as required by the APC constitution.
Lukman stressed that with NEC not meeting as required, they give no financial report to anyone, not even to the NWC.
He said having got the NWC around July 2022 to approve the suspension of Directors, they have proceeded to employ new Directors as well as more staff at the National Secretariat without recourse to the Establishment Committee, which is yet to be formed, saying all these have increased the running cost of the party without the approval of NEC.