Salihu Lukman, the National Vice Chairman (North West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has claimed that his colleagues in the National Working Committee (NWC) do not have the power to expel him from the party. He accused the National Legal Adviser of attempting to manipulate the NWC to subvert the party’s constitution and argued that any move to expel him for demanding accountability is a clear breach of Article 21(5) of the APC constitution.
Lukman wrote a letter to the relevant parties, including outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari, President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the Governor Atiku Bagudu-led Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF), stating that the power to expel him from the party is vested in the National Executive Committee.
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Lukman maintained that the NWC should consider his memo and refer the recommendations to the NEC for onward transmission. He argued that the NWC is not given the power to discipline any member of the party under the APC constitution.
Lukman stated that he has forwarded the memo to his legal team for further action and that the suit in question, which is being alleged as constituting anti-party activity, will have to go ahead to correct the erroneous interpretation of the constitution by the National Legal Adviser.
He added that he will proceed with the legal action he instituted to restore constitutional order in APC, up to the Supreme Court. He criticized the National Legal Adviser for imagining that threats of disciplinary action are required at this point, and stated that the APC must be about encouraging debates in organs of the party.
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Meanwhile, Alhaji Liad Tella, a chieftain of the party, has called on Lukman to withdraw his case against Adamu and follow options for reconciliation, in accordance with party ethics. He also dismissed the insinuation that Tinubu is privy to what Lukman is doing against Adamu.
