The sudden resignation of the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, was spurred by the manner they handled the contentious audit report of the party’s account.
Aggrieved NWC members said on Monday that the contention over the manner the two men handled the audit of the party’s account, refusal to render party account for one year, lack of transparency, violation of the party constitution and running a one-man show without the contribution of the National Working Committee, were responsible for their downfall.
An NWC member stated, “The final straw that broke the camel’s back was the manner they (Adamu and Omisore) contracted the audit account to an external auditor without the consent of the NWC or NEC.
“When the audit was completed, rather than extend it to members of the committee for scrutiny, Adamu and Omisore both signed and forwarded it to INEC. That aroused suspicions and further made the NWC to inform President Bola Tinubu and the APC governors of an imminent implosion if the tension is not doused on time.”
A party chieftain at the secretariat, who also craved anonymity, also gave a similar narration.
The NWC member stated that the process for rendering the party’s account should have been followed, including the use of the party’s internal audit department.
He said, “Before you send anything to the regulator (INEC), you must allow the management of a company to finish its work. When the board looks at it, they will take it to the general meeting. It is even after that the company can consider sending it to the regulator.
“In this case, the management has not even looked at it. The audit report was signed primarily by the secretary and the chairman. Yet, we have rules and regulations that guide how things should be done.”
Recall that the NWC meeting, which started about 11.00am on Monday, had in attendance the National Organising Secretary of the party, Suleiman Arugungu; Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Duru; National Leader of APC Persons with Disability, Tolu Bankole; Deputy National Chairman (South), Emma Eneukwu; National Vice-Chairman (North-East), Salihu Mustapha; National Vice-Chairman, North-west, Dr. Salihu Lukman.
Asked if the party would invite the anti-graft agencies to probe Adamu’s tenure, the acting Natiknal Chsirman, Senator Abubskar Kyari stated that it wasn’t an important option the party was considering at the moment.
According to him, the APC was not interested in sending anti-graft operatives after Adamu and Omisore.
“There are no allegations against them. Both of them resigned voluntarily and that is what is available at this moment. But the details of their resignation will be made known to you in the nearest future,” he said.
On how the new APC leadership hopes to address the plethora of issues raised by the National Vice Chairman for North-West, Mallam Salihu Lukman, Kyari promised that the matter would be given a look-in.
In a related development, the Deputy National Organising Secretary, Nze Chidi Duru also frowned at the idea of inviting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to probe Adamu.
Duru, however, admitted that a committee has been set up to look into the audit report.
He noted, “He has not been indicted. Besides, we have an internal mechanism to address any issue involving members, except it goes beyond what we can handle. Already, a committee has been set up to look into the audit of the party account.
“We are presently studying the audit sent to INEC. In truth, before the idea of sending such an audit to the commission can be conceived, it is the duty of NEC to first review it. After that, the audit department of the NWC will also look at it. Once that is done, it will be submitted to the NEC for approval and it is circulated to the regulator.
“But in Adamu’s case, the audit was not even brought up for discussion. The next thing we heard was that it had gone to INEC. That was the worst infraction.”
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