NWC Members Disown Adamu, Insist Lawan Not Consensus Candidate

•Say they stand by northern governors position

Adedayo Akinwale

The members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may have drawn the battle line with the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdulahi Adamu, over the purported endorsement of the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan as the consensus candidate few hours to the party’s presidential primary scheduled for today.

Adamu during the NWC held at the National Secretariat of  the party Monday in Abuja  announced Lawan as the consensus candidate of the party.

He informed the NWC members that the decision was reached following consultation with President Muhammadu Buhari who had since denied endorsing Lawan.

Nevertheless, the plan by Adamu  to seal the fate of the national leader of the party and a presidential hopeful, Senator Bola Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and other presidential aspirants hit the brick wall when other members of the NWC refused to ratify Lawan as the consensus candidate of the party less than few  hours to the party’s convention. 

But addressing journalists at the party secretariat after the NWC meeting, the National Organising Secretary of the party, Mr. Suleiman Argungun, said the issue of consensus was never discussed at the meeting, not to talk of endorsing Lawan.

Argungu was in company of National Vice Chairman, South-south, Chief Victor Giadom, National Vice Chairman, South-west, Isaac Kekemeke, National Vice Chairman, North-West, Dr. Salihu Lukman, among other NWC members.

Recall that Lukman recently accused Adamu of blackmailing NWC members with Buhari’s name to force decisions on them.

Argungun states: “It is just an information that he (Adamu) gave us. It is not an issue that has to be delibrated by NWC. It is an information. All of us are entitled to our opinion. We are all democrats. This decision was never taken by the NWC.

“That is just an information, not an issue that was discussed by the NWC. Just recently, the northern governors had their meeting. We, as members of the NWC, are with the governors on what they have said.”