In the midst of the escalating crisis over the leadership of the 10th National Assembly, Salihu Moh’d Lukman, the national vice chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has leveled accusations against the party’s national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu. Lukman claims that Adamu is working against the party’s zoning arrangement, serving as a factional leader and undermining the recently adopted zoning arrangement.
The APC leadership had previously endorsed Godwill Akpabio, former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, as Senate President, and Tajudeen Abbas as Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 10th National Assembly. Additionally, Senator Barau Jubrin (North-West) was endorsed as deputy Senate president, and Ben Kalu (South-East) as deputy Speaker of the House. However, last week, Adamu peculiarly cautioned party members and lawmakers against referring to Abbas as the incoming Speaker until he officially wins the election, stating that consultations with other aspirants and legislative stakeholders were still ongoing.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the APC national vice chairman alleged that Adamu strongly opposed the zoning formula approved by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) after receiving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s endorsement. Lukman firmly asserted that Adamu and some other party leaders were actively working to replicate the 2015 debacle, aiming to ensure the emergence of a rebellious leadership in the 10th National Assembly through persistent “hardcore ethnic Northern arguments.”
Lukman further criticized Adamu and the national secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, for obstructing all party organs, except the NWC, from convening. He argued that the governing APC was suffocating under their leadership, as they controlled the flow of information within the party.
The former director-general of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) warned of the detrimental effects of blocking party organs and called for wider internal democratic consultations, debates, and contestations to determine the zoning of leadership positions in the 10th National Assembly. Lukman criticized the suspension of the party’s constitution and expressed concerns over the spurious legal interpretations provided by the National Legal Adviser, Barr. Ahmed El-Marzuq, in response to legal challenges aimed at restoring constitutional order within the party.