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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Stakeholders have rounded rejected the purported plan to handover the ruling party to Senator Abdullahi Adamu, as the National Chairman of the party in the forthcoming party’s National Convention.
APC stakeholders hinged their rejection of Adamu on the supportive role he played during the aborted third term agenda of former president Olusegun Obasanjo in addition to his baggage with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Frowning at the plans to handover the party to what they described as PDP element, the stakeholders insisted that that “any endorsement of Senator 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.
Aliu Audu, who read the position of stakeholders in a speech he presented, also announced the rejection of former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, to serve as the APC Deputy National Chairman (South).
“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 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 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 Adamu, aside not deserving of the coveted seat in the APC ahead of many other aspirants who have 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 per cent of the membership have been singing about marginalization and non-inclusion,” he said.
Kicking against the planned imposition, the stakeholders noted; “Added to the issue of his capacity and competence is the issue of his unresolved cases with the 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 Adamu,” they claimed.
On the side of Nnamani, the stakeholders noted: “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 APC.
“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,” they claimed.
