Following a prolonged conflict with President Bola Tinubu, Abdullahi Adamu, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was reportedly requested to resign on Sunday. Hope Uzodimma, the governor of Imo state and chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), advised Adamu to step down. It is alleged that Iyiola Omisore, the APC national secretary, became unreachable upon hearing about this development.
According to party sources, Adamu and Omisore were scheduled to face a vote of no confidence by members of the National Working Committee (NWC) on Monday afternoon. Subsequently, they were to be removed by the national executive committee (NEC) led by Tinubu on Wednesday.
A major point of contention between Tinubu and Adamu has been Adamu’s alleged failure to account for the N32 billion generated from the sale of forms for the 2023 general election. According to an NWC member, only N7 billion remains in the account, and there is uncertainty regarding the appointment of auditors and the auditing process.
Adamu reportedly sought support from state chapter chairpersons, but they did not back him. The funds in question were meant to be shared with various levels of the party, but it is claimed that they were unaware of the situation.
Even before the N32 billion issue arose, Adamu’s departure seemed likely. Tinubu supported Tanko Al Makura, another former governor of Nasarawa state, for the national chairman position, while party leaders aligned with former President Muhammadu Buhari favored Adamu. This was seen as a move to prevent Tinubu from securing the party’s presidential ticket.
In the run-up to the APC presidential primary in June 2022, Tinubu expressed frustration, claiming betrayal despite a supposed gentleman’s agreement in 2015 that he would succeed Buhari. This led to a heated exchange between Tinubu and Adamu, with Adamu threatening to “discipline” Tinubu. Adamu also stated that Ahmad Lawan, then-senate president, was Buhari’s preferred presidential candidate, causing controversy within the party.
The issue of the N32 billion was brought to Tinubu’s attention, and he reportedly authorized the party to remove Adamu “legally.” Uzodimma approached Adamu on Sunday to urge him to take appropriate action, but Omisore could not be reached.