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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
A member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Moh. Lukman, has described as insensitive and taking party members for granted, rumoured plan to draft former governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to replace Abdullahi Adamu.
Lukman, in a statement in Abuja told party leaders that the only way to justify Adamu’s exit is by demonstrating commitment to restore constitutional order in APC and return the party to its founding vision of a progressive party.
He warned party’s active negotiators, President Bola Tinubu and the APC governors to retrace their steps, arguing that the choice of Ganduje would completely distort the zoning arrangement that informed the present configuration of the leadership of the National Assembly.
He hinged his claim of insensitivity on the choice of Ganduje as party chairman after the North West has produced the Speaker of House of Representatives and Deputy Senate president, resulting in shutting out the North Central geopolitical zone from the power sharing equation.
Lukman challenged President Tinubu to tame the growing powers of governorship bloc and make strong intervention to guide the process of restoring constitutional order and returning the APC to its founding vision of progressive politics.
“So far, as things are, only the president and governors blocs are active in the negotiation to produce and engage leaders of APC. Already, part of the speculations emerging from the Governors bloc is that Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is being considered to succeed Abdullahi Adamu.
“If this is true, it only suggests insensitivity and taking members of the party for granted. This is without prejudice to the person of Ganduje. This is because such a choice will completely distort the zoning arrangement that informed the present configuration of the leadership of the National Assembly.
“With the Speaker of House of Representatives and Deputy Senate President coming from North West and North Central shut out of consideration, to propose the party’s National Chairman to move to North West from North Central will be unjust and almost a political suicide.
“We must caution our Governors that since the emergence of APC, Governors have served almost as the conscience of the party. Any consideration for such an insensitive and unjust move for Ganduje to become the National Chairman of APC must be discarded,” he warned.
Making further claims, the former Director General APC Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), maintained that “if anything, the position of National Chairman of the APC must be retained in North Central. Part of the challenge of managing the current transition within the party is getting the NWC to properly take the driving seat in managing and facilitating negotiations to produce and engage leaders of the party. The NWC must sit up and guide the unfolding negotiations. No single power bloc should be allowed to appropriate the process,” he warned.
Challenging President Tinubu, Lukman wrote, “this where the intervention of the president, being the leader of the party, would be required to moderate the excessive conduct of any power bloc, especially when such conduct risk further damaging the prospect of returning the APC to its founding vision.
“At these early stages of President Tinubu’s leadership of the party, he needs to make that strong intervention to guide the process of restoring constitutional order and returning the APC to its founding vision of progressive politics. Progressive politics must be about inclusion and justice and not some blind and insensitive considerations,” he warned.
•Stakeholders vow to resist imposition
In a separate reaction, the APC North Central stakeholders warned that the leadership crisis would escalate if few members of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) continued to push the planned imposition of former governor of Kano State. Party chieftain and member of stakeholders forum, Dominic Alancha, told Daily Sun that the geopolitical zone would not fold their hands and watch the few governors take the position rightly zoned to North Central.
Alancha recalled that the stakeholders backtracked when the party’s leadership insisted on denying them Speakership position on the excuse that the zone was already holding two positions – Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the national chairman.
“As at now, there is no official statement to establish whether President Tinubu has endorsed Ganduje or not. It is still in the realm of speculations. We only saw in the media that Governors Hope Uzodimma, Mai Mala Buni among some other governors and Ganduje are trying to hold meeting with Mr. President on that matter.
Alancha asked: “How can they bring Ganduje as Adamu’s replacement while Senator Bashiru from Osun, from the same state, is replacing the National Secretary, Omisore. It was the same thing when Oshiomhole replaced John Odigie-Oyegun. Why should the case of North Central be different?
“Any attempt to actualise this arrangement will put the party in a serious mess and deeper crisis. We all know that Adamu is a saint where Ganduje is. We must avoid him. If he is dropped from ministerial list, it is certainly not because he want to become the party’s chairman. I believe it is because he has so much baggage or because of Musa Kwankwaso who is gradually gaining ground into the administration. We urge all our leaders to stand against this. Our North Central governors must stand up to be counted. We demand that our party’s NEC should hold emergency meeting to confirm a party member from North Central as party’s chairman.
“Let me however make it clear that Mr President has a decision to make and if he supports the decision to endorse Ganduje in the interest of the party, we will have no option than to support it. But if it is the plans of few persons, especially the governors, to impose Ganduje on us the way Adamu was imposed, the crisis in the party will escalate when we resist the imposition,” Alancha warned.
•Ameh Ebute joins race
Former Senate president, Ameh Ebute, has also declared for the national chairman position.
He said as an elder with vast experience, he can conveniently be a binding force within the party and unite it.
“The All Progressive Congress (APC) has been the ruling party since 2015, and has won the general election in 2023 overwhelmingly. It is, therefore, important to maintain stability and pursue credibility amongst Nigerians by ensuring adherence to both the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Constitution of our ruling party, keeping in view the dichotomy and diversity of the Nigerian society.
This credibility and balance is necessary for a politician of my stature to be the national chairman of the party. As a team player, I will work assiduously with the vision of the current administration which is hinged on renewed hope for all Nigerians.”
