•Adamu evacuates personal belongings, secretariat staff jubilate

 

From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

Following the resignation of Abdullahi Adamu as national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Deputy Chairman (North), Abubakar Kyari, yesterday, officially assumed the position in acting capacity.

 

Kyari, who confirmed Adamu’s resignation after a marathon  National Working Committee (NWC) meeting at the party’s national Secretariat in Abuja, announced that the proposed National Caucus and National Executive Committee (NEC) earlier scheduled for tomorrow and Wednesday have been postponed indefinitely.

He equally announced that part of the resolutions taken during the NWC meeting was for the hitherto Deputy National Secretary, Festus Fuanter, to step in as acting national secretary following the resignation of Iyiola Omisore.

He told newsmen: “As members of the NWC of the APC, we are here to address you to the happenings and recent developments regarding the party. The NWC wishes to inform you about the resignation of the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and that of the National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

“With this development and according to the constitution of the APC, it is now incumbent on my humble self, Senator Abubakar Kyari, as deputy national chairman (North) to assume the office of the acting national chairman of the APC. Subsequently also, the deputy national secretary,  Festus Fuantar, will now assume the office of the acting National Secretary of the APC.

“And with this recent developments in the change of leadership, I will like to inform everybody here  that the proposed National Caucus meeting slated for Tuesday, July 18 and the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party slated for Wednesday night, July 19 are hereby postponed.

“This postponement will not be indefinite but a new date will be communicated in the near future. At this point, the individuals have resigned voluntarily and that is what is available at this moment. Reasons for resignations will be made to you in the near future.”

On whether the NWC would unleash anti-graft agency on Adamu following allegations of financial recklessness, Kyari replied: “Everybody has his own style of administration. And I think this present NWC will be in line with what the physician says. I will operate based on that.”

Meanwhile, Adamu has evacuated his personal effects from his office. As at 1.30pm, yesterday, his personal staff were seen packing out his belongings such as ablution materials, portraits, among others.

His large portrait pictures were equally removed from his office, conference rooms, other offices and replaced with that of  Kyari.

There was, however, a mild drama at the secretariat around 12pm when the erstwhile national secretary, Omisore, hurriedly left the headquarters after he was denied entry into the NWC meeting.

Approached to comment on the development on his way out of the secretariat, Omisore told newsmen that he was only going out to meet Adamu to know why he was conspicuously absent.

But, painting a picture of what transpired at the secretariat, a security personnel told Daily Sun that the party’s Chief Security Officer (CSO) was earlier directed to deny Omisore entry into the secretariat.

He said he was later allowed after the CSO pleaded with the national leadership that he was already close and stopping him may result in preventable uproar.

“The appeal from the CSO to the NWC members to allow Omisore entry into the complex was granted, but they could not permit him entry into the conference hall where they were meeting. On entry, he read the situation and decided to disappear from the Secretariat entirely.

“He promised to come back but it was obvious he just used that excuse of going to see why the national chairman was absent to disappear from the secretariat,” the security source explained.

Names like James Faleke, Emma Enukwu and Simon Lalong among others are being bandied as Adamu’s replacement. However, reacting to it, a member of the NWC told our correspondent that the party would not be in any hurry to replace the resigned chairman.

He stressed that the party’s leadership would engage in extensive wide consultation before taking final decision on it.

In the early hours of yesterday, there was palpable tension and anxiety at the party’s secretariat over the development. Members of the secretariat staff that arrived the headquarters early to confirm the veracity of the news about Adamu’s resignation went into wild jubilation.

The secretariat staff who gathered in groups inside the complex to discuss the development did not hide their joy over the ouster of Adamu, who they described as a sadist.

“He threatened us with sack to cow us but he employed over 20 personal staff and gave them jumbo take-home packages. The allowances the party supposed to pay us, he denied us. He approved millions of naira for the leadership during the presidential election and refused to give anything for the staff. But the NWC members he gave money could not deliver their wards. They lost their wards yet the staff delivered.

“The most allowing one was our request for allocation of land to the secretariat staff. The NWC members hijacked it and sent only their names and it is awaiting approval. Our prayer is that it should not approved.

“It is good that he is gone. He inflicted so much pains and misery on us since he assumed here. We have prayed for a day like this and thank God our prayers have been answered today. Let him go because we are tired of him,”  the jubilant secretariat staff told our correspondent in confidence.

•Resignation long overdue –Okechukwu

A party chieftain, Osita Okechukwu, said Adamu’s resignation was long overdue.

Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON) insisted on total rejig of the party from ward to national level.

“We had hoped that Abdulahi Adamu was in a better position to reconcile the internecine state factions, which nearly, if not for the mangled presidential primary election of our sister political party the PDP, stopped us from victory.

“He became chairman and threw away the baby and bath water, hence dropping the fine ingredients he gathered for reconciliation as the chairman of the National Reconciliation Committee. For me, it was a grave mistake he made among other unforced errors.”

On the next line of action, Okechukwu noted: “Methinks the best way out is for President Tinubu to consider, as a matter of urgent national importance, first setting up an ad-hoc committee with the objective to overhaul our great party, the APC. This will be a prelude to the NEC meeting and possibly a mini-national convention so as to reposition the party for greater challenges ahead.

“Luckily, Mr. President has positively set forth at dawn; we need to reposition the party with leadership in alignment with his broader vision to transform our dear country. Once more, my appeal is that President Tinubu and his team should give serious consideration to the high degree of reconciliation and re-composition of NEC and State Executive Committees,” he suggested.