President Bola Ahmed Tinubu allegedly did not receive any financial support from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for his presidential campaigns, according to Dr. Salihu Lukman, the APC’s national vice chairman North West. Lukman expressed his concerns about this unusual departure from past practices and claimed that other candidates from the party were also denied financial assistance by the national working committee led by Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
Lukman compared the current situation to the 2019 elections when every candidate of the party received monetary support from the national secretariat under the leadership of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. He emphasized that even Tinubu, a prominent figure in Nigerian politics, did not receive any funding from the party for his campaign.
Lukman further raised issues regarding the party’s financial transparency and management. He highlighted the absence of quarterly reports on income and expenditure, the failure to present a national budget for approval, and the lack of financial statements from the national chairman and national secretary to the national working committee. These infractions, according to Lukman, have not been addressed under the current leadership.
Lukman called for the removal of Senator Abdullahi Adamu and Iyiola Omisore from their positions as national chairman and secretary of the party, respectively, emphasizing the need to reposition the party. He criticized their leadership style, alleging that they were not committed to upholding the party’s constitution and that they discouraged internal debate within the party.
Lukman concluded by stating that he had been an active participant in the advocacy for the merger that formed the APC and that his contributions and controversial stance on certain issues were well-known within the party. He challenged the leaders to present evidence of any apologies he had made and asserted that his past actions did not align with the accusations made against him.
It’s important to note that these statements are attributed to Dr. Salihu Lukman, and there may be differing perspectives or official responses from other individuals within the APC.