Time Up For Adamu As Tinubu’s Men Push Buhari Stooge Out Of APC

Abdullahi Adamu’s ouster as National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has been long in coming and the fact that he stayed almost two months into the presidency of Bola Tinubu is a surprise to many.

The 76-year old who was Nasarawa State governor from 1999 to 2007 has often proven to be his (own) man politically.

Elected in 1977 into the Constituent Assembly and a pioneer member of the National Party of Nigeria, NPN, and then Secretary General of the party in Plateau State in 1978, he has been in politics long to know that a politician who leaves banana peels on his doorstep often falls from it.

President Tinubu saw into Adamu’s uncompromising stance when the position of the National Chairman of the party became vacant in 2022.

While Tinubu worked tirelessly to ensure one of Adamu’s successors in Nasarawa State, Umar Tanko Al-Mukara, emerged the APC National Chairman, President Muhammadu Buhari and his allies used the instrument of state power to push Adamu to victory.

It was then clear that both Tinubu and Adamu would continue to oppose each other in all fronts as events were later to show.

Presidential Election Primary

As soon as Adamu assumed power as the APC National Chairman in March 2022, his primary task was to work with the hawks around Buhari to ensure their anointed candidate emerges as APC presidential candidate for the 2023 presidential election.

The former Minister of State for Works and Housing set about his task by isolating Tinubu’s political associates in the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party, and taking his orders directly from Buhari’s men.

To frustrate Tinubu and other presidential aspirants who may want to challenge for the party’s ticket, Adamu resisted pressure to print expressions of interest and nomination forms, and  opted to print only one form for the sole candidate, to be chosen by Buhari.

But after intense pressure that the opposition may capitalise on the party’s infighting to win the election, other contestants, including Tinubu were allowed into the election.

As days drew close for the June presidential primary, he announced without consultation with his  NWC members that then Senate President, Ahmad Lawan was “the consensus candidate of the party.”

It was the first confrontation with Tinubu who was seen as the aspirant to beat, especially with the majority of the northern governors and almost all Southwest governors on the platform of the party supporting his presidential bid.

An angry Tinubu declared during the lead up to the primary election that it was his “turn to be president” which got immediate response from an equally miffed Adamu who said , “We would discipline him.”

Lawan lost the primary, garnering only 38 votes while Tinubu won the presidential ticket to stand as presidential candidate of the party in 2023. It was a humiliating loss for Adamu who was expected to immediately resign his position as national chairman. But he refused.

How Adamu Lost Nasarawa Election, Supported Atiku Abubakar

What Adamu could not achieve as the chairman which conducted the primary election, he aimed to achieve  during the presidential election but again lost. He lost  his polling unit, ward, local government and state election to opposition parties.

He reportedly supported Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the presidential election just as Buhari and his cabal were similarly believed to have preferred the PDP candidate—being a fellow northerner.

It was an astonishing defeat in the state which confirmed his continuous opposition to Tinubu’s candidacy.

However, Tinubu was announced as the eventual winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Running APC Like Sole Businessman Without Accounting For N32 Billion

Soon, revelations began to emerge about how the former Nasarawa Senator was running the party as his personal estate, hounding dissenting voices within the APC.

The National Vice Chairman, Northwest, Salihu Lukman, began to reveal the spending of party funds without approval.

He further revealed that the party made over N32 billion from the sale of forms but how the money was spent was unknown.

Post Election Fight With Tinubu

As soon as the election was over and Tinubu was inaugurated, the war between the pair shifted to the election of principal officers of the National Assembly.

While Adamu had deferred the honour to Tinubu who was away in France, he soon dissociated himself from the candidates the president had reportedly  endorsed to occupy the positions of the Senate president and deputy, speaker and deputy respectively, alleging that the party was not consulted.

He said consultation was not adequately done and that there was the need to revisit it to accommodate others. This was interpreted as a direct opposition to the president and an attempt by Adamu to fight for relevance.

While the president stood by his decision and those he anointed won, Adamu again dissociated himself and the APC from other principal officers announced by the new Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

Adamu said, “I am just hearing 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 not given any such information or communicated about the choice of officers. And until we formally resolve and communicate with them in writing, which is the norm and practice, it is not our intention to break away from traditions. So whatever announcement is made is not from this secretariat.”

Another indication of the no love lost between Adamu and Tinubu was when he shunned the meeting held between the president and the Class of 99 governors at the presidential villa.

19 governors across party lines attended the meeting which raised the ember of disagreement between him and the president.

But even if the president’s men had risen in condemnation of his statement about the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, who he had described as being in “extreme incapacity,” his position had long been untenable.

Having served as governor, Senator, national chairman and other positions since the 1970s, it appears all is over for Adamu as this could signal the end of his political (mis) adventure.

Adamu’s time is up.