The Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is billed to parley with members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) ahead of national caucus and National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings.
The parley, slated to hold 1:00 p.m. today, at the NWC Hall of the National Secretariat in Abuja, is aimed at addressing challenges affecting the party.
The meeting is expected to prepare ground for the APC NEC parley, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.
Faceoff between Adamu, National Secretary of the party, Iyiola Omisore, and National Vice Chairman (North West), Salihu Lukman, concerning the party’s constitution and rendering of account on expenses are expected to top agenda.
Recall that Lukman, who is a vitriolic critic of Adamu’s style of leadership, had claimed that besides failing to render the state of the party’s account in the last one year, APC staff at the secretariat were being hired and fired at will by the National Chairman, without recourse to any organ, including the NWC.
He had alleged: “As a member of the NWC, I can say without fear of contradiction, all decisions bordering on managing finances of the party are being taken by the National Chairman and the National Secretary. Most members of NWC are reduced to onlookers or, at best, rubber stamps. All appeals for accountability have fallen on deaf ears. The decision of the NWC to convene the NEC meeting in August, last year, was simply sabotaged.
“Yet, it is public knowledge that the party earned billions of naira in revenue from sale of forms to aspiring contestants. We, as the NWC, are yet to declare to any organ of the party how much we inherited from the Mai Mala-led Caretaker Committee and how much was received as donations and contributions for the 2023 elections.
“Large-scale expenditure, which includes renovation of the National Secretariat complex are being undertaken without any organ of the party exercising the powers of due diligence. Once the party’s constitution is no longer the guide for managing affairs, discretionary decisions of leaders take over.
Consequently, even what gets paid to party officials and organs become acts of benevolence by the National Chairman or anyone he delegates.”
The NWC is required by the APC constitution to present the party’s audit report to the highest decision-making organ (NEC) of the party at its meeting.
A member of the NWC, who confirmed the meeting in confidence, said: “Yes, a meeting of NWC and PGF has been conveyed through a four-line notice, as posted on our platform today. The meeting is slated for tomorrow (today), Tuesday, July 4 2023 at the party’s secretariat by 1:00 p.m. As usual, the notice, a four-line message, is without any agenda on it. Maybe, when we meet tomorrow, we shall know the agenda.”
