Lukman Accuses Adamu Of Squandering N30bn Election Money, Threatens Lawsuit

The National Vice Chairman of North West and member of the national working committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Salihu Lukman, has accused the National Chairman of the party, Sen Abdullahi Adamu of mismanaging election funds to the tune of N30 billion.

Lukman made the accusation in an open letter to the National Chairman, giving him a one-week ultimatum to render account on the usage of the campaign funds.

Lukman in the letter titled: “Restoring Constitutional Order in APC – Not Negotiable”, claimed that the monies were proceeds from the sale of nomination forms to aspirants that vied for various elective seats in the recently held general elections.

Lukman added that it is embarrassing that after one year in office, Adamu was yet to have a regular national executive council (NEC), National Caucus or National Advisory Council (NAC) meetings.

He alleged that the functions of the NEC and NAC had been usurped by Adamu, in consultation with the National Secretary, Sen Iyiola Omisore.

“As a member of NWC, we have never had any session where we were invited to consider any report of activity in the last one year. Yet, Article 13.4(ii) of our constitution requires that the NWC submit quarterly reports to NEC.

“We have never deliberated on any financial report even when Article 13.4(iv) requires that we present quarterly financial reports to NEC.

“We have never deliberated on a national budget although Article 13.3A(xiv) requires that we present one to NEC and get approval.

“Perhaps, inability to hold quarterly NEC meetings as provided under Article 25.2(i) of the party’s constitution may be the excuse for not having quarterly reports of activities, quarterly financial reports, and national budgets

“With respect to the national budget, the closest we came to was when the April 8, 2022 NEC approved the cost for nomination forms for 2022 elections.

“No proposed expenditure of any kind was presented to any organ of the party apart from the budget for the June 2022 National Convention, which was presented to the NWC on the eve of the June 2022 National Convention.

“Similarly, no report has been rendered to any organ including the NWC about any revenue received by the party.

“It is however speculated in the media that the party was able to generate over N30 billion from sales of nomination forms to aspiring candidates for the 2023 elections.

“Our state structures and other lower organs, which statutorily are entitled to shares of the party’s revenue are given very negligible amounts without allowing any organ of the party, including the NWC to make input into what was paid to the states.

“Large scale financial expenditure is being undertaken without any organ of the party including the NWC allowed to perform any form of statutory due diligence.

“The National Secretariat has been undergoing large-scale renovation and both the costs and details of the contract are not provided to any organ of the party including the NWC.

“Without a national budget approved by NEC as required by our constitution, all decisions on financial expenditure are limited to your benevolent disposition.

“Unfortunately, because this is the reality, there are party members who have rendered services during the process of nominating candidates for the 2023 elections that are yet to be paid their entitlements.

“There is also the decision to refund party members who bought nomination forms to contest for position of party leadership during the March 28, 2022 National Convention that elected us but were asked to step down to facilitate our emergence as consensus candidates, but are yet to be refunded.”