The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, has distanced himself from the newly announced leadership of the National Assembly, which was revealed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on Tuesday.
Senator Adamu, addressing a crucial meeting of the National Working Committee and APC governors at the party secretariat, dismissed the report as a mere “rumour.” He emphasized that the party has not officially declared the presiding officers for the National Assembly.
This rebuttal from Senator Adamu comes in response to reports that Akpabio had appointed Opeyemi Bamidele, the lawmaker representing Ekiti Central, as the 10th Senate Majority Leader. Additionally, the Senate President announced Senator Dave Umahi of Ebonyi South as the Deputy Majority Leader, Ali Ndume of Borno South as the Chief Whip, and Lola Ashiru of Kwara South as the Deputy Whip.
With Senator Adamu disowning the announced leadership, the situation surrounding the National Assembly’s new leadership remains uncertain. The party’s official stance and the final composition of the leadership roles are yet to be clarified, leaving room for further developments and speculations.
“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 of the NWC has not given any such information or communicated about the choice of offices. 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 done either the President of the Senate, Deputy Senate President, Speaker or Deputy Speaker, is not from this secretariat.
“We are going to formally inform you that we are going to have a caucus. For quite a time, there has been no caucus in place. The caucus has been reconstituted according to the constitution of APC. And we will be discussing that with you as governors, you know your states more than we know it. Even if we come from the same state, the leadership is in you as governors,” Adamu said.
Furthermore, the APC chairman revealed that the party will release an official statement once a decision has been reached regarding the allocation of principal offices. He assured that the party is actively working on determining the sharing formula for these positions.
During the meeting, the two-term governor of Nasarawa State also took the opportunity to provide the governors with an update on the audit of the party’s accounts over the past year. He informed them that the National Working Committee (NWC) aims to submit the audit report within seven days at the upcoming meeting of the National Executive Committee.
The discussion surrounding the allocation of principal offices and the ongoing audit demonstrates the party’s commitment to transparency and accountability within its ranks. The APC remains focused on ensuring a fair and efficient process for decision-making and financial management, keeping its members informed of the progress made.
He said, “An update on the National Election in the National Assembly regarding the sharing of powers, specifically the leadership positions of the chambers, is forthcoming. The Senate President and Deputy Senate President have conducted the election for the principal officers of the Senate, while the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives have also been elected and their responsibilities have been announced”.
“The remaining offices to be determined by the two chambers are yet to be done. I had a courtesy call on Saturday from the President of the Senate and his deputy”.
“Along with the caucus, the National Advisory Council will give you the list that has been prepared and make sure that every state is represented. And we will give you knowledge of it and advice. You will also be given the benefits of all the detailed accounts from April 2022 to April 2023. The PCC account has been audited, and it has been submitted to INEC by the party. We will hear your advice and then see how we can ensure that we comply with the provisions of the constitution of the party.”