APC Governors Disagree, Say Comment Unwarranted
THE National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, has said that the party was not officially aware of the list of principal officers from the party announced on Tuesday, July 4 by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abass.
Adamu told journalists at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) was not informed of the positions; hence dissociated the party’s leadership from the announcements of the NASS presiding officers.
Speaking shortly before the commencement of APC’s NWC closed-door meeting with governors elected on its platform, known as Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), Adamu insisted that the announcement was a rumour on social media.
Akpabio had named Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central), as Senate Majority Leader; Dave Umahi (Ebonyi South) as Deputy Majority Leader; Ali Ndume (Borno South) as Chief Whip and Lola Ashiru (Kwara South) as Deputy Whip.
But Adamu, in reaction, said: “I am just hearing it as a rumour now from the online media that there have been some announcements in the Senate and House of Representatives.
“The national headquarters of the party, the NWC, has not been given any such information or communicated about the choice of offices.
“Until we formally resolve and communicate with them in writing, which is the norm and practice, it is not our intention to break away from traditions.
“So, whatever announcement is done either by the President of the Senate, Deputy Senate President, Speaker or Deputy Speaker, is not from this secretariat. We are going to formally inform you that we are going to have a caucus, and for quite a time, there has been no caucus in place.”
He added that the caucus had been reconstituted according to the party’s constitution, adding, however, that the party’s NWC would listen to the governors on all issues, take their advice and work in compliance with the provisions of the party’s constitution.
“We hope that we will be receiving some reports from the PGF chairman or his representative, to get to know about their feelings and what is going on and what is their thinking on what to do to improve the chances of the party and therefore reduce the problems and bickering that we have been hearing from time to time,” he said.
The APC national chairman said the PGF would be provided the party’s detailed accounts from April 2022 to April 2023, which had been audited and submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Reacting later, the APC governors described Adamu’s comment as “unwarranted.” Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Chairman of PGF and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, faulted Adamu’s position, saying the leadership of the legislative houses enjoys the support of APC governors.
“Chairman never said that they are on their own. The National Assembly leadership belongs to our great party and they are members of our party and they enjoy our support.
“If there is any way that there is a communication gap anywhere, we will make it up and we have our internal mechanism of resolving such things. The National Assembly leadership enjoys the support of the Progressives Governors Forum and our party. We don’t have any problem at all.”
Governors present at the meeting include Uzodimma; Yahaya Bello (Kogi); Abdulrahman AbdulRasak (Kwara); Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos); Abiodun Oyebanji (Ekiti); Hyacient Alia (Benue); Diko Rada (Katsina); Mai Mala Buni (Yobe); Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru (Ebonyi); Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe); Umar Namadi (Jigawa) and Umar Mohammed (Niger).
Others were Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Hadiza Balarabe and her Nasarawa State counterpart, Emmanuel Agbadu Akabe.
