All is not well within Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as the National Chairman, Abdulahi Adamu, rejected the selection of the party’s principal officers as announced by the Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday.
The list of new key offices presented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, according to Mr Adamu, did not come from the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
Mr Adamu, a former senator, made the remarks during a meeting with APC governors on Tuesday at the party’s National Secretariat.
Mr Adamu described the emergence of some APC chief officers from both houses as “a mere rumour” because the National Working Committee had not approved it.
He stated that the NWC did not send any list to Messrs Akpabio and Abbas.
i-News Nigeria reported that at the resumption of plenary on Tuesday, the Senate President and Speaker unveiled the names of the new principal officers of their respective chambers.
Opeyemi Bamidele emerged as the Senate Leader, while Julius Ihonvbere emerged as the Leader in the House of Representatives.
While reacting to the news of their emergence, Adamu said: “I am just hearing as a rumour now from the online media that there have been some announcements in the Senate and House of Representatives.
“The national headquarters of the party, the NWC, has yet to give any such information or communicate about the choice of officers.
“And until we formally resolve and communicate with them in writing, which is the norm and practice, we do not intend to break away from traditions. So whatever announcement is done is not from this secretariat,” Mr Adamu said.
The ruling party has been struggling with internal crises before the February 25 presidential election but was able to emerge victorious despite its challenges.
Meanwhile, governors of the ruling party have promised to address the “communication gap” between the four most senior leaders of the two parliaments and their party, the All Progressives Congress.