…Issues 2-week ultimatum
From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Former National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Moh Lukman, has petitioned President Bola Tinubu, threatening to drag the ruling party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to court for breach of the party’s constitution.
Lukman, in his letter dated May 21 lamented that meetings of organs, particularly relevant provisions of the APC Constitution have not taken place for close to one year.
The party’s chieftain further emphasised that he was compelled to draw Tinubu’s attention to the infractions by the leadership of thenruling party for operating almost blindly without recourse to provisions of the APC Constitution.
LThe former Director General APC Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) gave a two-week ultimatum to the NWC of the party to activate all organs of the APC in line with the party’s constitution or be ready to meet him in court.
He maintained that the NWC of his party has appropriated the powers of all organs and in its name, the National Chairman is taking discretionary decisions, warning that the decisions taken not only violate sections of the APC Constitution but also undermine Sections 221 — 229 of Part Il of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended as well as the Electoral Act 2022.
According him; “I am compelled to kindly draw Your Excellency’s attention that as it is our party is operating almost blindly without recourse to provisions of the APC Constitution. Meetings of organs as specified by relevant provisions of the APC Constitution are not taking place. Decisions, which established organs of the party are expected to take, are being taken by individual leaders outside those organs.
“One of the critical organs, the Board of Trustees, which is renamed National Advisory Council has not been inaugurated since the formation of the APC in July 2013. With such reality. The NWC of the party has appropriated the powers of all organs and in its name the National Chairman is taking discretionary decisions. With such reality, many of the decisions taken not only violate sections of the APC Constitution but also undermine Sections 221 — 229 of Part Il of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended as well as the Electoral Act 2022.
“As things are, we have been regressing democratically as a nation. Due to inability to comply with statutory provisions regulating the conduct of political parties, we are embarrassingly running governments that don’t value princ ples of consultations and respecting valid agreements contracted through diligent political negotiations.
“One of such agreements nullified was the decision to zone the National Chairman of APC to the North-Central geopolitical zone. It was disappointing that you nominated Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje from Kano State, North-West against the agreement reached in March 2022, which zone the position to Nasarawa State, North-Central.
“To say the least, the choice of Dr. Ganduje with all the uncleared allegations of corruption around him further raises question about your commitment to the development of the APC as a political party and Nigerian democracy. Consequently, all the serial decisions taken w thout references to organs of the APC and complying with subsisting internal agreements have resulted in outright violation of relevant provision of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended, which imposes the requirement to ensure the establishment of an inclusive governments at all levels,”the petition read.
Reacting further, Lukman wrote: “Failure to do that will compel me as a patriotic Nigerian and loyal party member who has paid his dues to seek legal redress. Democracy is meaningless without functional poliucal parties. When leaders of the ruling party deliberately subvert the provisions of the party’s constitution, Constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2022, membership of the party is rendered useless.
“As citizens, committed to the development, protection and survival of democracy, it is incumbent on us to initiate every legitimate civil and legal action to enforce compliance with extant provisions of all the laws that regulate the conduct of political parties and their leadership,” Lukman wrote.