How Imo Governor, Hope Uzodimma secured Adamu’s resignation as APC National Chairman
The resignation of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was enforced by the Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, NEWS WEEK NIGERIA can authoritatively report.
NEWS WEEK NIGERIA had earlier reported that the embattled APC National Chairman resigned from his position following an ultimatum given him by President Bola Tinubu.
But what is not yet in the public domain is the role played by Governor Uzodimma, who is the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, the umbrella body of governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
A member of the APC National Working Committee (NWC), who confirmed Adamu’s resignation story to NEWS WEEK NIGERIA last night said President Tinubu gave Uzodimma the charge to secure the chairman’s resignation. “It is true that Adamu has resigned as the national chairman of APC though he did not tell any of us – members of the NWC. What we heard was that the President gave Imo State governor, Hope Uzodimma, the charge to ensure that Abdullahi Adamu resigns,” the APC NWC member who spoke on condition of anonymity said.
“Uzodimma secured Adamu’s resignation. He wrote his resignation letter and handed same to Governor Uzodimma who has the President’s mandate to ensure that happens. So he resigned on the orders of Tinubu
The NWC member said none of them is shedding any tear for the former National Chairman. “He didn’t talk to any of us and that is why none of us is calling him to ask what happened since the news broke.
Adamu, Hope Uzodimma “Ordinarily, even beyond calls, all of us would have been trooping to his house now in solidarity. But nobody is doing that. I am in my house as I am talking to you. His sack serves him right. “The man didn’t do well at all. He is bereft of leadership ethos and for most of us in the NWC, his exit is good riddance to bad rubbish.”
The resignation of Adamu has brought to an end weeks of speculation on his fate as the chairman of the ruling party. Indications were rife last week that the days of Adamu in the office were numbered.
Foot soldiers of Tinubu were alleged to have sworn that the embattled chairman would be shown out of office because he did not support the president at the presidential primary of the APC. Adamu was then seen to be an ally of the former Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, for the presidential ticket of the party.
Adamu had in fact announced Lawan as the consensus candidate of the party. But the then President, Muhammadu Buhari, immediately issued a statement, distancing himself from the purported endorsement.
Even when Tinubu eventually emerged, controversies arose between his presidential election team and the office of the APC National Chairman over the constitution of the members of the team. Adamu had claimed not being carried along by Tinubu in choosing members of the presidential election council.
Same friction almost occurred during the selection of the principal officers of the National Assembly, when Adamu accused Tinubu and his kitchen cabinet of sidelining the leadership of the party.
Sources told NEWS WEEK NIGERIA that both Tinubu and his henchmen in APC did not find Adamu’s audacity funny, hence the decision to move against him.
“He (Adamu) is too cocky and haughty. He has condescending attitude to everyone in the party, including the president. There cannot be two captains in a ship. He has to go,” a Tinubu loyalist said last night.
