10th Assembly: Lukman accuses Adamu of working against zoning arrangement

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The National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, North-West, Salihu Lukman, on Wednesday, alleged that the leadership of the APC was subtly working against the zoning arrangement adopted by the party for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.

Lukman accused the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu, of acting as a factional leader opposing the zoning decisions approved by the National Working Committee after due consultations with President Bola Tinubu.

The APC had earlier adopted Tajudeen Abbas and Imo Rep-elect, Benjamin Kalu, as its candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker seats, respectively, a situation that sparked outrage from other aspirants in the race.

In the upper chamber, the party micro-zoned the position of Senate president to the immediate past Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio; and Deputy Senate President to the Chairman of Senate Committee on Appropriation, Jibrin Barau.

But Lukman strongly believes that Adamu and a few others are determined to ensure that the 2015 model of rebellious leadership emerges in the 10th National Assembly through their consistent ‘hardcore ethnic Northern arguments.’

The popular Kaduna politician made the accusation in statement released in Abuja on Wednesday morning, titled, “APC and Transition Politics.”

The allegation is coming 13 days to the election of principal officers for the Senate and House of Representatives.

He said, “The same conservative bloc is now spewing up hardcore ethnic Northern arguments against the zoning decisions approved by the NWC following the outcome of consultations between the Abdullahi Adamu-led NWC team with President Tinubu. As if those consultations were not designed to produce agreements, once the NWC approved the recommendation for zoning the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.

“Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, instead of acting as the National Chairman, facilitating implementation of decisions of organs of the party, is acting as a factional leader opposing the decision of the NWC. Instead of working for the success of the decision of the NWC through activating meetings of higher organs of the party to confer more legitimacy to the decision of the NWC, he seems to be more interested in ensuring that the 2015 model of rebellious leadership emerge in the 10th National Assembly.”

In the same vein, Lukman also lamented that the party was ‘choking’ after Adamu and the National Secretary of APC, Iyiola Omisore, blocked all organs of the party from meeting, except the NWC.

After successfully blocking all the party organs, the former Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum disclosed that the tight grip the duo had on the NWC ensured that members were only ‘spoon-fed with convenient information.’

He stated, “When APC and Asiwaju won the 2023 elections, the structures of the party were blocked from functioning to allow for wider internal democratic consultations, debates and contestations using the legitimate structures provided in the constitution of the party to facilitate internal negotiations to zone leadership of the 10th National Assembly.

“Practically, in a manner that is nothing more than suspending the constitution of the party, the National Chairman, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, supported by the National Secretary, Sen. Iyiola Omisore have blocked all organs of the party from meeting, except the NWC. In the case of the NWC, it is more a case of spoon-feeding members with convenient information. And where challenged as was the case with the court case aimed at restoring constitutional order in the party, the National Legal Adviser, Barr. Ahmed El-Marzuq become handy with spurious legal interpretations, which are anything but legal, bereft of any logic.”

The face-off between the Kaduna politician and the APC national chairman has been a recurring case in the last one year.

Lukman had previously dragged Adamu and Omisore to court a month ago for breach of the party’s Constitution.

In a counter move, the National Legal Adviser, Ahmad El-Marzuq, wrote a legal opinion to Adamu a week ago recommending severe punishment to be meted out on Lukman, including expulsion for taking the legal approach.

At a ‘heated session’ during a crucial meeting of the committee and the leadership of the party, concerned members of the NWC had pleaded with Lukman to withdraw his lawsuit while they make attempt to address some of the issues he raised.