Protesters Besiege APC Secretariat, Demand Removal of FCT Chairman

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Hundreds of protesters Tuesday besieged the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) demanding the immediate removal of the party’s FCT Chairman, Abdulmalik Usman.

The protesters, comprising youths, women and men, insisted that the FCT Congress 2021 must be recognised, adding that Usman must be removed for his refusal to accept the new party executive of FCT.

The protesters, who took over the APC secretariat  in the early hours of Tuesday, grounded activities for hours, and insisted on seeing the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

The aggrieved protesters were armed with various inscriptions like: ‘Oath of office can only be taken twice, APC FCT chairman, Abdul Malik Usman, has taken oath of office twice, it is impunity to keep him; ‘FCT Congress 2021 must be recognised’; ‘FCT APC chairman must go for refusal to accept the new party executive of FCT!!!; ‘We say no to party impunity of FCT’, ‘National Chairman APC, do not condone impunity’; “APC must not only preach equity and justice but must demonstrate equity and justice’, among others.

The protesters, who were bent on having audience with Adamu, who had arrived the party secretariat shortly before the protesters seized the secretariat, accused him of collecting bribe from certain politicians from the FCT in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to ensure that the opposition party wins FCT during the 2023 election.

“We want to see Adamu. He must stop the impunity by ensuring that Abdulmalik is not sworn in the third time. If he fails to address us, it means that he has collected money from the PDP so that APC will lose FCT again in the 2023 elections,” one of the protesters said.