ABUJA – The Nigerian ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, party was thrown into turmoil this week following the sudden resignation of National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore.
The resignations reportedly stemmed from controversies surrounding the pair’s handling of a contentious party audit report.
According to party insiders, President Bola Tinubu and APC governors have already initiated the search for replacements.
Adamu and Omisore submitted their resignations on Sunday, July 16, 2023, amidst swirling speculation about their motives.
Confirmation of their departures came during an emergency meeting of the National Working Committee, NWC, at the party headquarters in Abuja on Monday, July 17, 2023.
Adamu’s successor, Senator Abubakar Kyari, who has assumed the leadership role acting, officially confirmed the news.
An attempt by Omisore to join the NWC meeting was blocked, reflecting the underlying tensions.
“NWC members were disgruntled over the two men’s management of the audit, their refusal to disclose the party’s accounts for a year, perceived lack of transparency, violation of party regulations, and a seeming disregard for the NWC’s contribution,” said an aggrieved NWC member, requesting anonymity.
The NWC member further claimed that the duo’s decision to assign the audit to an external auditor without NWC or NEC consent was the tipping point.
He revealed, “When the audit was completed, Adamu and Omisore both signed it off and forwarded it to INEC without involving the committee. This action aroused suspicions and led to the NWC alerting President Tinubu and the APC governors about a brewing crisis.”
Omisore’s barred entry into the NWC meeting further amplified the crisis. An anonymous source stated, “The former secretary no longer had any business in the secretariat. Unlike the chairman, who was given a ‘dignified exit’, Omisore was not so fortunate.”
Following the meeting, Kyari announced the appointment of the Deputy National Secretary, Festus Fuanter, as the acting national secretary.
He also indicated that the planned National Caucus and National Executive Committee meetings slated for July 18, 2023, and July 19, 2023, had been postponed.
When asked about the details of the resignations, Kyari declined to comment, promising that further information would be disclosed later.
Kyari, addressing the possibility of an anti-graft investigation into Adamu’s tenure, stated that the party is not currently considering that option. “There are no allegations against them. Both of them resigned voluntarily, which is what is available now,” he said.
Moving forward, NWC member Nze Chidi Duru revealed that a committee had been set up to further scrutinize the controversial audit report.
He also hinted that the leadership change might be temporary, given Kyari’s potential ministerial nomination, implying an emergency convention might be imminent.
While the APC grapples with the fallout from these resignations and the challenges the audit poses, the Nigerian political scene watches with bated breath to see how this crisis will unfold.
