APC crisis: Vice Chairman writes Buhari, drags Adamu, others to court

The crisis of leadership in the ruling All Progressives Congress APC assumed a new twist on Thursday as the National Vice Chairman, Northwest, of the party, Salihu Moh. Lukman made good his threat to sue the duo of the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore over their refusal to convene a meeting of the APC National Executive Committee NEC.

This was as Lukman wrote President Muhammadu Buhari, explaining his reasons for dragging the duo to court, saying he was left with no option as they failed to heed his call to be guided by the party’s constitution.

The letter copied the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the Progressive Governors Forum PGF through its chairman, Gov. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, and Members of the APC National Working Committee NWC.

Urging Buhari to refer to the April 5 letter he (Lukman) wrote to Adamu, he said he made nine demands seeking immediate compliance with the provisions of the party’s constitution bordering on accountability.

“The nineth demand sought demonstration of commitment to restore constitutional order in the party through commencement of actions, inclusive of convening a meeting of the National Working Committee NEC within two weeks from April 5, 2023.

“On the expiration of the two weeks and action taken to demonstrate any commitment to restore constitutional order within the party, on April 19, 2023, I wrote an open letter to Sen. Adamu with the subject ‘Restoring Constitutional Order in APC – Not Negotiable’, wherein I gave another one week within which steps should be taken to convene a meeting of our party’s National Executive Committee NEC before May 29, 2023.

“The seven days has expired on April 26, 2023 and, again, there is no indication of any action being taken to convene a meeting of NEC. The NWC is yet to meet on any of the issues raised.

“I have therefore proceeded to institute a legal action, seeking to compel Sen. Abdullahi Adamu and Sen. lyiola Omisore being respectively APC National Chairman and National Secretary to comply with the requirements of running affairs of the party as enshrined in the provisions of the APC constitution”

In the suit instituted at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday through his counsel, Mohammed Kabir Abdullahi. Esq., APC was listed as the first defendant while Adamu, Omisore and the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC were listed as second, third and fourth defendant respectively.

Among the questions for determination are “whether by the provisions of Articles 13.4 (iv) and 25.2 of the APC Constitution, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Defendants are not obligated to call for or cause to be called and held quarterly or at the request of one-third of members of the National Executive Committee (“NEC”) of the APC the meeting of the National Executive Committee of the APC at which the Defendants shall present quarterly financial report on income and expenditure of the APC to members of the National Executive Committee.

“Whether by the provisions of Article 13.4 (vi) and 25.2 of the APC Constitution, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Defendants are not obligated to call for or cause to be called and held quarterly or at the request of one-third of members of the National Executive Committee (“NEC”) of the APC the meeting of the National Executive Committee of the APC at which the Defendants shall present proposed guidelines and regulations governing the conduct of elections to the Party offices at all levels, and procedure for selecting Party candidates for elective offices, including the selection and zoning of leadership of the National Assembly to the members of the National Executive Committee”.

Upon the determination Lukman is therefore seeking among others, “a declaration that by the provisions of Articles 13.4 (iv) and 25.2 of the APC Constitution, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Defendants are under an obligation to call for or cause to be called and held quarterly or at the request of one-third of members of the National Executive Committee (“NEC”) of the APC the meeting of the National Executive Committee of the APC at which the Defendants shall present quarterly financial report on income and expenditure of the APC to the members of the National Executive Committee”.

“A declaration that by the provision of Article 13.4 (vi) and 25.2 of the APC Constitution, the 1, 2 and 3rd Defendants are under an obligation to call for or cause to be called and held quarterly or at the request of one-third of members of the National Executive Committee (“NEC”) of the APC the meeting of the National Executive Committee of the APC at which the Defendants shall present proposed guidelines and regulations governing the conduct of elections to the Party offices at all levels, and procedure for selecting Party candidates for elective offices, including the selection and zoning of leadership of the National Assembly to the members of the National Executive Committee.

“An order mandating/directing the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Defendants to immediately call for or cause to be called and held the meeting of the National Executive Committee of the APC for purpose of presenting the activities of the Party from the date of the last NEC Meeting which was held on 28th April 2022 to the last meeting of the National Working Committee which held on 17th April 2023.