We Risk Defeat In 2023, Adamu Warns APC Governors, Others

By Akombo Aondona, Abuja.

  National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Adamu, has urged the party’s governors and other members to close rank for the 2023 General Elections, saying the APC currently courts the 2015 fate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which lost the presidency to APC in 2015, if the APC goes into the 2023 polls under the current ambience of disunity in the party.

   Adamu spoke on Wednesday, 20th April, 2022 at the APC NEC Meeting in Abuja.

At the same event, President Muhammadu Buhari formally congratulated the newly elected members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC and urged them to always use party mechanism in resolving challenges they would face on the NWC.

   Adamu accused the current and former governors of the party of being the chief architects of the crises in the APC.

     He warned the former governors to steer clear of APC issues surrounding party leadership in their states.

  Adamu said: “The lack of unity in our party is such that none of can pretend not to be aware as it was the efforts to unite this party that led the previous caretaker committee to set up a reconciliation committee to find lasting peace.

   “I know Mr. President is not unmindful of what happened to PDP in 2014/2015. Our party is not immune to similar fate should it conduct itself in such a way that continues to undermine the legacy of the founding fathers to build this party. I was the chairman of the reconciliation committee and came out of the assignment fully conversant with the problems.

   “The battle really is a battle for supremacy between serving state governors and their predecessors in office. It is a crisis fuel by ego. So ego is the enemy. Ego between former and serving governors. Ego has turned them into bitter enemies. Because of ego the two groups are   putting our party in jeopardy and the effect will be in the polls next year.

“Our party must have the courage not to pay lip service to it. The serving governors of our party in their various states are the leaders of the party and this is in line with our party’s constitution.

” It is important that the former governors recognise that the party structure must be respected. Our party’s constitution makes no room for two party leaders in a state. There is no reason to compete with serving governors for the leadership of the party,”Adamu admonished. 

   In his address at the NEC meeting President Buhari said: “This is our first meeting since the National Convention. I congratulate our great party for successfully conducting the Ward, Local Government, State Congresses, and the National Convention, in compliance with the Party Constitution.

 “I must commend the Mai Mala Buni-led CECPC and all its members for offering themselves to serve the party at a critical moment in utmost satisfaction despite all the attendant challenges, and for organising the National Convention that has produced the National Working Committee for our great party. 

“I must also sincerely thank all the aspirants for their desire to serve but who had to withdraw their aspirations for the overall interest of our party. I consider it an honour to my person and an unwavering sacrifice for the unity of our great party as we approach the coming election. 

” I enjoin you all to follow due process in all the party processes and more importantly to develop more mechanisms against corruption. I call on all party members to abide by all extant laws, rules, and regulations and to leaders of our party to avoid imposition of candidates that cannot win popular elections. This dictatorial behavior costs us many strategic seats in the past. 

” Now that NEC has vested its powers in NWC for the time being, as requested, and in compliance with the Party Constitution in the overall interest of the Party, I want to assure Mr. Chairman and the entire NWC members of my full support.”