APC Crisis: Adamu Buckles Under Pressure, Quits Office
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – Senator Abdullahi Adamu on Sunday joined the league of former Chairmen of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as he humbly bowed to pressure from supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that insisted he should resign from office or be shown the way out.
Insiders hinted that Adamu, a member of the 1999 class of Governors with President Tinubu, was persuaded by Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State to quietly tender his resignation than face a possible disgrace being planned for him by some hard core loyalists of Mr President.
Adamu, who emerged as APC’s National Chairman at the national convention held in March 2022, is said to have sent his resignation letter to the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila on Sunday at about 4:00pm ahead of Tinubu’s return from the African Union (AU) meeting in Nairobi, Kenya.
A close confidant of Adamu confirmed the story, adding that his signed resignation letter addressed to President Tinubu, who is the leader of the party, has already been received and acknowledged by Also Rock Villa.
The source explained that the resignation became necessary owing to a gang up by some party members around the president to embarrass him during the scheduled meetings of the APC slated for Tuesday and Wednesday this week.
Checks by Forefront News indicated that contrary to insinuations in certain quarters that it was President Tinubu, who directed Adamu to tender his resignation, the erstwhile chairman of the APC opted to sacrifice his office than to face humiliation from those planning to disgrace him out of office.
It was also gathered that the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, actually coordinated and ensured a soft landing for Adamu by ensuring he tendered a handwritten letter of resignation at a meeting on Sunday.
Adamu was made to know that he would be humiliated at the scheduled National Caucus and National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings slated for Tuesday and Wednesday.
The former governor of Nasarawa State and Chairman of the APC Reconciliation Committee ahead of the Party’s convention, had been under intense fire from some members of the NEC of the party to honourably resign or be shown the exit door.
The agitators were allegedly being encouraged by some presidency officials following insinuations that Adamu as national chairman of the Party vehemently opposed the emergence of Tinubu as presidential candidate of the APC ahead of the June 2022 convention.
Adamu was also believed to have opposed the nomination of Tinubu’s candidates for presiding offices of the National Assembly.
Following what was seen as a frosty relationship between Adamu and President Tinubu whose fight was being carried out by the president’s confidants, Governor Uzodimma moved in to save the situation by conveying the looming danger of the continued stay in office as national chairman of the APC to Adamu.
It was at that point with superior argument that Adamu chose to exit peacefully by tendering a handwritten letter of resignation against his forceful and disgraceful removal at the NEC meeting.
