The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) National Vice Chairman - North West, Salihu Lukman, has sued the party’s National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
Lukman accused the national chairman of the APC of abusing the party’s constitution. Lukman earlier gave Adamu one week to convene a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting or be ready to face legal action.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that Lukman wrote an open letter dated April 19, 2023, and addressed it to the National Chairman. The letter is titled “Restoring Constitutional Order In APC – Not negotiable.”
The APC chieftain said Adamu must commence the process of treating all the issues bordering on the management of a smooth transition between the outgoing administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and the incoming government of President Bola Tinubu.
The suit filed against Adamu and some other party executives at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday through his counsel, Mohammed Kabir Abdullahi Esq, is numbered FHC/ABJICS/ 573.
Listed as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants are Adamu; the APC National Secretary, Iyiola Omisore and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Lukman is asking to court to compel the defendants to immediately convene the National Executive Council meeting of the party for the purpose of presenting the activities of the party from the date of the last NEC meeting on April 28, 2022, to the last meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) which held on April 17, 2023, Daily Trust reports.
Lukman, a former Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) is also asking the court to direct the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants to present the procedure for selecting party candidates for elective offices, including the selection and zoning of the leadership of the National Assembly to the members of the NEC.
Lukman, who is a party’s National Working Committee (NWC) member of the party, had threatened that Adamu’s failure to comply with his demand within the time frame might force him to file a lawsuit to enforce compliance with his demand.
The open letter read: “As a person, I have concluded that everything must be done to compel you to respect the constitution of our party and manage its affairs based on the requirements of our constitution and not your discretion.
“Therefore, by this open letter, I am serving you notice of one week from today, Wednesday, April 19, 2023, to take all the appropriate steps required to convene an NEC meeting before May 29, 2023, wherein all the issues bordering on the management of smooth transition between the outgoing government of President Buhari and the incoming government of President Asiwaju Tinubu can be considered.
“If by the end of this one-week notice, no action is taken to convene an NEC meeting as the first step to restoring constitutional order in APC, I will not hesitate to take further actions, including approaching our courts to enforce compliance with the provisions of our party’s constitution under your leadership.”