APC National stakeholders reject Abdullahi Adamu

The alleged endorsement of former Nasarawa state governor, Senator Abdullahi Adamu for the office of National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress by President Muhammadu Buhari ahead of the March 26 national convention has continued to raise dust in the ruling party.

A group within the party, the APC National Stakeholders on Tuesday kicked against the purported endorsement of Senator representing Nasarawa West, as the consensus candidate.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja, the spokesman of the group, Audu Aliyu, said the endorsement of any aspirant would violate every known democratic principle.

Aside from the former Nasarawa state governor who incidentally was a former chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, the group further alleged that there was a plot to present former Senate President and former chieftain of the PDP, Senator Ken Nnamani as deputy national Chairman,(South) of the APC.

They declared that such an alleged plot was inimical to the survival of the APC as they further claimed that the APC was about to be hijacked by the PDP.

He said: “It is in furtherance of that most important objective of our formation that we have again invited you here today to express our reservations concerning the purported plan to impose certain individuals as leaders of our party in the now rescheduled Convention.

“As stakeholders, we have always been against imposition in whatever guise, considering our belief that whenever a consensus option is adopted, as long as it is not predated by wide consultation, it would no doubt violate every known democratic ethos and principles.

“The lingering and now widespread speculation as to the plan to bring a former member of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP in the person of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as the APC National Chairman in the forthcoming Convention, where loyal, qualified and competent foundation members of the APC are also in the race is not only an aberration but a violation of the established principle of APC which respects long term fidelity to the party and frowns at every vestige of injustice.

“While it is within his constitutional rights to vie for any position within the APC or even the country as a whole, we believe that the individuals who are purportedly behind the plot to make Senator Abdullahi Adamu the next APC National Chairman cannot sit down alone in their zones and decide who gets what, more so when the individual in question is of the PDP stock.

“We believe also that Senator Abdullahi Adamu, aside not deserving of the coveted seat in the All Progressives Congress ahead of many other aspirants who have an unwavering belief in the ideals of our great party and have laboured day and night for its success, he has not demonstrated any commitment of being young people inclined, especially at a time that the young members of APC who constitute more than 80% of the membership have been singing about marginalization and non-inclusion. His recent assignment as the chairman of the reconciliation committee is a case in hand. Even though he failed grossly in reconciling aggrieved members of our party, particularly from all the states he visited, Senator Adamu failed to accord recognition to the critical mass of young people in the party who are even more aggrieved by the people he consulted during the so-called reconciliation process.

“Added to the issue of his capacity and competence is the issue of his unresolved cases with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The APC, especially as a party that prides itself as one that frowns against corruption cannot afford to have any individual with questions to answer as her leader and we, the stakeholders will not be party to any sort of travesty on our party’s anti-corruption ideology.

“Additionally, he does not possess the democratic credentials that should be exemplary of a National Chairman in a party like the APC, considering that he was one of the strong proponents of Obasanjo’s third term agenda. If that agenda had succeeded, the beneficiary may be sitting as a lifetime president today, but we wonder if that development would have deepened democracy so much as to have a progressive party like the APC which some interest now want to hand over to Abdullahi Adamu.

“We therefore believe that any endorsement of Senator Abdullahi Adamu, either purported or real, as the chairman of our party is a very dangerous gamble, one that signals a return of our much beloved progressive party to the hands of the original PDP members.

“We are also not unaware of plans to also bring another member of the party from the stock of the People’s Democratic Party in the person of former Senate President Ken Nnamani, to serve as the Deputy National Chairman (South) of All Progressives Congress.

“While he is known publicly to be a member of the All Progressives Congress, there are several instances where his loyalty to the party has been questioned. Information out there is that he has continued to be a member of APC in the day time and a member of PDP at night, and while this information has not been proven to be true, the APC would be playing safe by refusing to hand over such an important position of Deputy National Chairman to a man whose loyalty once completely lied in the opposition.

“At this point in the life of the APC, what we need is a leader that can midwife us away from the damages caused to the party over the years and definitely not an individual who does not originally share in the ideals of the APC nor one whose temperament and level of tolerance will further deepen the disappointments of already disillusioned party members.

“As stakeholders, we would rather throw our weight behind an aspirant whose integrity is unquestionable, someone who has demonstrated a proven capacity for youth inclusion and the ability to harvest the energy of young people to drive party activities, especially in this age of digital and social media mobilization.”

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