Adamu Hints at Consensus in Zoning of 10th Assembly Leadership
•Says party can’t zone without Tinubu’s input
•Mustapha: Lukman agrees to withdraw suit against chair, Omisore
Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdulahi Adamu, has said the leadership of the party was working towards reaching some level of consensus in the zoning of the leadership positions of the 10th Assembly.
Adamu, who gave the hint while addressing journalists yesterday in Abuja at the end of a four-hour meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, said the meeting was not about zoning but about other issues in the party, and stressed that the party came out more formidable and united at the end of the meeting.
“That is not what today’s meeting is all about. When we do the zoning meeting, we don’t just go alone as a party. Zoning is to take along the person, who has the mandate of this country, the president-elect, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu; we want to take him along. He travelled after the election and he came back only last week and we have to carry him along.
“And we cannot stop those who are ambitious or zoning interests, or individual interests, we cannot deny them. And as long as that is there, we have to find a way, persuasively, to reach some level of consensus. That’s what we are working on. It is not a one-day affair,” he said.
Also, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Felix Morka while briefing journalists said the meeting centered on domestic matters of the party, especially some of the concern expressed by the party’s National Vice Chairman, North West, Dr. Salihu Lukman.
The APC leadership had summoned the NWC meeting following a lawsuit instituted by Lukman against Adamu, and National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore last Tuesday over their refusal to convene meetings of relevant party organs.
Lukman had given a seven-day ultimatum to Adamu to convene a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC), where Adamu would give the financial account of the party.
But Adamu’s reluctance to hearken to his call after expiration of the seven days ultimatum forced Lukman to institute a lawsuit against the party chairman last Thursday.
However, the crisis rocking the party assumed another dimension last Sunday, when the National Legal Adviser, Ahmad El-Marzuq, recommended Lukman’s expulsion, in his letter to Adamu.
Reacting to the expulsion threat, Lukman said he hoped the issue would be tabled at the NWC meeting slated for today for deliberation, and that, it was only then that it would become a threat.
Meanwhile Morka revealed that a committee had been set up to look at the concerns expressed by Lukman.
“Amongst all of the issues discussed at the meeting, we look at some internal and domestic house-keeping matters with a colleague that you know who has expressed his concerns about something he believes the party should be doing. We deliberated completely about it and as we speak, a committee that was set up to complete that conversation is in progress right now. So, there is a meeting that is going on that I am supposed to be part of to fully rectify that discussion and offer final recommendations on that subject.
“But I am happy to report as the Chairman just indicated, the party stands completely united behind the leadership of His Excellency, the National Chairman of our party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu. And we are all standing together. Our colleague, who has concerns is being looked into and I think in due course, we will have very specific conclusions of those discussions.”
On his part, National Vice Chairman, North-east, Saliu Mustapha, who addressed journalists on behalf of the committee that was set up to look into concerns raised by Lukman said he had agreed to withdraw his suit against Adamu and Omisore.
The committee members comprised of all the National Vice Chairmen from all the zones, excluding Lukman.
According to him, “We are here to intimate you of the proceedings we had after the National Working Committee and we had intimate consultations with our brother, the National Vice Chairman North West, Comrade Salihu Lukman, on issues you are aware of, like the legal action and some other publications credited to him and we reached the resolution that this suit is going to be withdrawn and unconditionally he has rendered his apology for any seeming embarrassment this his suit and publications may have caused.”
