National Vice Chairman (North West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, has said his colleagues in the National Working Committee (NWC) lack powers to unilaterally expel him from the party.
Lukman argued that the moves, coming from the National Legal Adviser, smacks of deliberate attempt to manipulate the NWC into subverting the party’s constitution. He added that plan to expel him for demanding accountability in affairs of the party is in clear breach of Article 21(5) of the APC constitution.
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In a correspondence to Adamu, which copied outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari, President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Governor Atiku Bagudu-led Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF), Lukman maintained that the power to expel him from the party is vested in the National Executive Committee.
He said: “With this provision, my expectation will be for the NWC to consider the memo. And if adopted, refer the recommendations for onward transmission to NEC. In which case, the NWC will then be acting as the complainant.
“There is nowhere in the APC constitution where the NWC is given the power to discipline any member of the party. I have already forwarded the memo to my legal team for further action.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the suit in question, which is being alleged as constituting anti-party activity, will have to go ahead, especially, to correct the erroneous interpretation of the constitution by the National Legal Adviser, to the effect that “it is not mandatory to convene a meeting of the NEC every quarter for the purpose of presenting activities of the party to members of the NEC.”
Lukman added: “Let me say it very clearly that I will proceed with the legal action I instituted to restore constitutional order in APC, up to the Supreme Court. It is pathetic that the National Legal Adviser, rather than providing an unbiased legal opinion to guide deliberations of organs of the party, would descend so low as to imagine that threats of disciplinary action is what is required at this point.
“APC, being a party founded with the vision to promote progressive politics, must be about encouraging debates in organs of the party. Anybody who is not comfortable with positions that challenge decisions of leaders bordering on respecting provisions of our party’s constitution should know that the APC is not where he or she belongs.”