The last is yet to be heard of the crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as a member of the National Working Committee (NWC), Dr Salihu Lukman has declared that no one could stop him from highlighting wrongdoings in the party.
Lukman, who is the APC National Vice Chairman, North West, accused the National Chairman and Secretary of the party, Senators Abdullahi Adamu and Iyiola Omisore of bullying and intimidating him over his stance on the way the party is being administered.
In an open letter to APC leaders, he maintained that contestation and disagreement are defining attributes of any progressive political party.
The Kaduna-born politician, who swore that he cannot be cowed into compromising his stance, dared Adamu and Omisore to expel him from the party.
He identified the refusal of Adamu to render accounts of the party for the past one year as part of his grouse against him.
“We have managed the party since April 2022 without approved budget as required under Article 13.3A(xiv) of the APC constitution. No report of any kind to any organ, not even the NWC. Yet, Article 13.4(ii) and (iv) require the NWC to submit quarterly reports of activities and finances covering income and expenditure to NEC.
“Billions of Naira have been expended based on discretionary decisions of the National Chairman and National Secretary. Till date, no member of the NWC can claim to know how much is in all the accounts of the party outside Sen. Adamu and Sen. Omisore and perhaps the National Treasurer and National Financial Secretary,” he said.
Continuing, he noted: “By every definition, Sen. Adamu’s politics is conservative and reactionary. Unfortunately, however, based on all the unfolding realities, he is on a reckless conservative and reactionary politician, who, if left unchecked, can pull the party in the direction of committing political suicide. All party leaders and members must wake up to this reality and stop Sen. Adamu from achieving his mission of self-destroying the APC.
“Both Adamu and Omisore, from all available reports appeared to be animated that I have resumed public advocacy on the need to save the APC and ensure that the structures of the party are given life in line with provisions of the APC constitution.
Yes, I have resumed public advocacy because all the structures that should have permitted internal debates are being blocked from meeting. APC, as a party founded with the vision of being a progressive party, must accommodate debates and contestations.
“Nobody, no matter how highly placed, should think that the best way to win debates and contestation is to bully and blackmail opponents. No amount of bullying will stop the campaign to return APC to constitutional order.”
