The crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) assumed another dimension yesterday as the party’s National Vice Chairman, North-west, Dr. Salihu Lukman accused the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdulahi Adamu and National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore of squandering N30 billion realised during the sales of forms for the 2023 elections.

Lukman in a statement titled: ‘Rebuilding the APC to Reform Nigerian Politics: Task Before President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’, accused Adamu of reckless financial management of the party.

He noted that critical Issues of party funding have remained very ad hoc because no defined funding framework has been established.

To this end, the party chieftain noted that with the election of principal officers in the National Assembly completed, President Tinubu being the leader of the party should prioritise rebuilding the APC.

He said 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.

Lukman 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 requirement to set up Senatorial District Committees as provided under Article 13.10 of the APC constitution was redundant; while Women, Youth and Persons Living with Disabilities Wings provided in the APC constitution are left at the discretions of National Women’s Leader, National Youth Leader, and National Leader of Persons Living with Disabilities.

Lukman 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 30 NEC meetings would have been held.”

Lukman said that as it is now, the management of the party is limited to the discretion of Adamu, adding that when it is convenient he involves members of the National Working Committee (NWC).

He added 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.

Lukman 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 pointed out that 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, saying all these have increased the running cost of the party without the approval of NEC.

The National Vice Chairman said that five Standing Committees established by the APC constitution were never constituted, saying they included: Establishment, Finance, Publicity, Intergovernmental and Conflict and Reconciliation Committees.

He added that as a party, “APC must wake up and respond positively to the expectations of Nigerians and begin to douse citizens’ frustrations, which is producing so much anger and making the people vulnerable to manipulative antics of political opportunists during electoral contests.”

Lukman said this was the minimum, which the APC agenda of Renewed Hope under the leadership of President Tinubu should ignite and trigger a deeper political reform in the country. (THISDAY: Text, Excluding Headline)

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