Lukman at Daggers Drawn with Adamu in APC
The crisis rocking the leadership of the All Progressives Congress is far from being over as the party’s National Vice Chairman, North-West, Dr. Salihu Lukman, recently cried out that the leadership style of the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdulahi Adamu, may have a telling effect on the fortune of the ruling party. Adedayo Akinwale reports
The gladiators within the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) last week resumed hostilities bringing an end to the brief peace and tranquility enjoyed in the ruling party in the past few weeks. THISDAY recalled that APC National Vice Chairman, North-West, Dr. Salihu Lukman, had in April accused the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdulahi Adamu and the National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore of turning other members of the NWC to rubber stamp. He alleged that the duo take all decisions bordering on managing the finances of the party without the knowledge of other NWC members.
Lukman in a statement decried that the National Advisory Council (NAC) of the party had not been inaugurated more than a year after the Adamu-led NWC assumed office.
He stressed that the constitution of the party under Article 13.2B.(i) stipulates that, “the National Secretary shall, not later than one month after an elective convention, convene the meeting of the National Advisory Council”; but added that one year after assuming office, Omisore has never proposed any action towards the inauguration of NAC.
Also, Lukman during a recent interview on national television accused Omisore of mismanaging Osun State governorship election campaign funds.
“Part of the issue with that is that I’m aware the party has given some campaign funds to Osun which was handled by the National Secretary but more importantly, he’s not accounting to anybody and you have to activate the process of accountability,” he had said.
The allegation did not go down well with Omisore who threatened to sue Lukman. The party’s scribe in a letter through his attorney dated March 15th demanded for a retraction, apology, and payment of N500 million damages for the libelous statement against his person.
But Lukman who had already don his comradeship toga said Omisore cannot bully him into silence, while asking him to render account of the money provided for the prosecution of the Osun governorship election.
Subsequently, to ensure that the leadership of the party is accountable, Lukman wrote another letter dated April 5, 2023, where he gave one week notice to Adamu to convene National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting wherein all the issues bordering on the management of smooth transition between the outgoing government of former President Muhammadu Buhari and the then incoming government of President Bola Tinubu could be considered.
Following the expiration of the one-week ultimatum, Lukman dragged the Adamu-led NWC before an Abuja High Court over his refusal to convene NEC and national caucus meeting of the party.
Against this background, on May 3rd, Adamu summoned an emergency meeting of the NWC following a lawsuit instituted by Lukman against him and National Secretary over their refusal to convene meetings of relevant party organs.
The crisis, however, got messier when the National Legal Adviser, Ahmad El- Marzuq, recommended the expulsion of Lukman, in his letter to Adamu.
El-Marzuq argued that in the case of Waziri v. PDP & ANOR (2022) LPELR-58803(CA), it was held thus: “It is settled law that no Court has the jurisdiction to hear and determine complaints or matters pertaining to intra-party disputes of political parties. It has long been settled by the Supreme Court in Onuoha v. Okafor & Ors. (1983) 14 NSCLR 494 at 499 - 507 that, where the relief sought is on leadership of or intra-party dispute between members of the same political party or between a member or and the political party, only the party can resolve the dispute.