Ratification of APC substantive chairman in Adamawa in tandem with law – Ribadu
~ Dispels rumours of internal crisis
The organizing secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State, Mustapha Atiku Ribadu has dispelled rumours to the effect that the immediate past acting chairman of the party, Samaila Taddawus was forcibly removed from office.
In the wake of the ratification and swearing-in of the substantive chairman of the party Barr. Idris Shuaibu, the state was awash with news suggesting that Taddawus was removed because of factional strife rocking the party.
But responding to the allegations, Ribadu said the ratification of the substantive chairman has nothing to do with factional imbroglio noting that the exercise followed due diligence of the law.
“There is no truth in news stories suggesting that Samaila Taddawus was removed as a result of factional crisis in the party. The action was carried out in deference to party statutes. And due process was exhaustively followed in the ratification of the new chairman,” he said.
Ribadu noted that the position of the state chairman of the party was zoned to Adamawa north adding that the son of the area, Ibrahim Bilal previously held the position before he resigned.
He noted that after Bilal’s resignation, Samaila Taddawus being the deputy to Bilal naturally takes over the mantle of leadership in acting capacity since there can’t be leadership vacuum.
“Since the position of the chairman has been zoned to the north, a person from the southern part of the state cannot continue occupy the position,” he said.
Ribadu said in its move to ensure the position gets back to it, stakeholders from the northern zone wrote a letter demanding that the position be revert back to them. In the letter, the stakeholders settled on the leadership of Barrister Idris Shuaibu.
The organizing secretary noted that the state executive committee of the party which is the party organ responsible for ensuring the ratification of Shuaibu as the chairman convened at the secretariat and ratified the request of the northern zone.
“The party organ constitutionally vested with the responsibility to effect that change is the state executive committee. Membership of the committee comprises of all local government chairmen and their secretaries, all serving and former state legislatures, and the state exco of the party.
“The state executive committee in the presence of journalists, ratified the demand for Idris Shuaibu’s leadership at our secretariat on Thursday. Five serving legislatures as well as all the members of the committee were present during the exercise.
“The former speaker of Adamawa State house of assembly, Kabir Mijinyawa moved the motion for the ratification of Shuaibu as the substantive chairman. The motion was seconded by the ALGON chairman of our party who doubles as Girei LG chairman of APC, Hon Abubakar Audu.
“After the motion was moved and seconded, an opportunity was given for counter motion but none present objected to the selection of Shuaibu hence he was sworn-in as the substantive chairman.
“Like I said, the party followed due process in the selection of the substantive chairman. And it should be stressed here that only that organ of the party has the remit to effect the change as witnessed yesterday because even the national Secretariat cannot impose a chairman on us.
“After Shuaibu became the chairman, Taddawus maintained his position as the deputy chairman of our great party. So the party is at ease with itself and there is no conflict whatsoever, as party constitution was followed to the latter in the selection of Shuaibu as the substantive chairman,” he said.
