All Progressives Congress (APC) North West Zonal Chairman, Salihu Lukman, has dared the National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, and the National Working Committee (NWC) to suspend him from the party as recommended by the national legal adviser.

Reacting to the threat, Lukman, in a letter to the national chairman, warned of the consequences of suspending him through the back door.

Lukman, NWC member, equally cautioned that no amount of threat would force him to withdraw the controversial lawsuit he filed at the Federal High Court (Abuja Judicial Division).

“While noting that issues raised in the memo is a response to the suit I filed in the Federal High Court, it is my hope the memo will be presented to the meeting of NWC, scheduled for tomorrow. In that case, the substantive issue will be the consideration of recommendation for disciplinary measure against me, which may require invoking Article 21.5 of the APC constitution.

“I want to unequivocally state that Article 21.3(i) of the APC constitution explicitly mandated only the executive committee of the party as the organ assigned the responsibility for disciplinary action as follows: ‘complaint by any member of the party against a public office holder, elected or appointed, or another member or against a party organ or officer of the party shall be submitted to the executive committee of that party at all levels concerned which shall not later than seven days of the receipt of the complaint, appoint a fact-finding or disciplinary committee to examine the matter.”

The former APC Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) director general added: “By this provision, my expectation will be for the NWC to consider the memo and if adopted, refer the recommendations for onward transmission to National Executive Committee (NEC).

“In which case, the NWC will then be acting as the complainant. There is nowhere in the APC constitution where the NWC is given the power to discipline any member of the party.”

He vowed not to withdraw the lawsuit for which he was accused of anti-party activities, stressing: “I have already forwarded the memo to my legal team for further legal action. For the avoidance of doubt, the suit in question, which is being alleged to constitute anti-party activities will have to go ahead.

“It is to correct the erroneous interpretation of the constitution by the national legal adviser to the effect that “it is not mandatory to convene a meeting of the NEC every quarter for the purpose of presenting activities of the party to the members of NEC.

“Coming from the national legal adviser whose legal qualification is not in doubt smacks of deliberate attempt to manipulate the NWC into subverting the party’s constitution. Let me say it very clearly that I will proceed with the legal action I instituted to restore constitutional order in APC up to the Supreme Court. It is pathetic that the national legal adviser, rather than providing an unbiased legal opinion to guide deliberations of organs of the party would descend so low as to imagine that threats of disciplinary action is what is required at this point.

“APC, being a party founded with the vision to promote progressive politics, must be about encouraging debates in organs of the party. Anybody who is not comfortable with positions that challenges decisions of leaders bordering on respecting provisions of our party’s constitution should know that the APC is not where he/she belongs. Nobody, no matter how highly placed in the leadership of the party should be allowed to destroy the APC by blocking our organs, notably National Advisory Council (NAC), national caucus, and NEC from holding statutory meetings as required by the party’s constitution.

“While looking forward to robust deliberations at the Wednesday’s meeting, it is my hope one of the resolutions of the NWC will be to convene a meeting of NEC before May 29, 2023 where all the demands I have made, including reports of activity, financial report covering income and expenditure of the party, zoning for National Assembly leadership, review of 2023 elections, among others can be considered and appropriate decisions taken,” Lukman said. (Daily Sun)

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