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Stop governors from taking over APC secretariat, Lukman tells Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu has been enjoined to stop Governors under the All Progressives Congress from hijack roles of statutory organs of the ruling party.
The National vice chairman, (North West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, made the appeal in a statement titled: “APC and Question of Party Building,” made available to newsmen in Abuja, at the weekend.
This is coming on the heels of speculated move by the Progressives Governors Forum under the leadership of Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, to ensure that former Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje replaced Senator Abdullahi Adamu as National Chairman.
Recall that the former National Chairman and National Secretary of the Party, Senators Abdullahi Adamu and Iyiola Omisore, resigned last Monday while Deputy National Chairman, (North) Senator Abubakar Kyari assumed the position of national chairman in acting capacity.
The statement read, “The situation we faced today in our APC present us with the opportunity to restore constitutional order in APC. Once we don’t use the opportunity properly and restore the sanctity of the APC constitution, we would be laying the foundation for worse things to happen under a new National Chairman.
“As NWC members we must be seen to be active in the debate of the way forward. A situation whereby President Asiwaju Tinubu and Progressive Governors are being alleged to have decided on Dr. Ganduje as the next National Chairman of APC without consulting other power blocs in the party and without meeting any of the organs of the party, including the NWC, is very risky and potentially damaging to President Asiwaju Tinubu and the party. If this is associated with a President who come from military background, it will be understandable. But to be associated with President Asiwaju Tinubu whose background is outrightly civilian having to lead the struggle for democracy in Nigeria for almost four decades, it will be highly unimaginable.
“We must therefore appeal to all those sponsoring this campaign to nominate Dr. Ganduje for the position of APC National Chairman, especially His Excellency, Hope Uzodinma, Chairman, Progressive Governors Forum to come to order and allow due process within the party to take its rightful course in the selection process of who become the next APC National Chairman. Nobody, including the PGF, should be allowed to seek to entrench arbitrariness and injustice in the determination of who emerges as the next National Chairman of APC. We must remind everyone, including President Asiwaju Tinubu that so far, the agreed zoning formula in APC seed the position of National Chairman of the party to North Central.
“Therefore, the relevant section of APC constitution with respect to filling vacancies should be respected. Anything short of that will amount to illegality and will constitute an act of injustice against members of the party from North Central. A party envisioned to be progressive must not be associated with that especially if one of our objectives now is to return the APC to its founding vision of emerging as a progressive party.”
