Crisis Hits APC as Workers Begin Protest Over Unpaid Salaries, Accuse Party Chairman of Key Offences

• The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been accused of some financial recklessness
• The allegations against the chairman were laid by the staff of the party who also decried the none payment of their salaries since September
• Sources within the party alleged that the chairman approved undue housing and vehicle allowances for members of the party's national working committee

The staff of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have decried the non-payment of their salaries by the leadership of the party.

The Punch reports that the staff of the party became aggrieved after approval of housing and vehicle allowances for members of the APC national working committee despite the fact that they were being owed their September salaries as of Saturday, October 29.

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While the national publicity secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, claimed that the issue of staff salaries was being addressed, he said that the delay was a result of an ‘internal mechanism.’

In addition, the national chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu, had replaced six departmental directors who were suspended at the national secretariat.

The affected directors were Anietie Offong (Welfare); Bartholomew Ugwoke (Research); Abubakar Suleiman (Finance); Dr Suleiman Abubakar (Administration); Salisu Dambatta (Publicity) and Dare Oketade, (Head of Legal).

Also, there had been reports of the replacement of the dismissed staff with others by the party chairman who said that the move was to sanitise the system.

Adamu in his defence also denied allegations that he was focused on appointing his allies and associates into the listed positions.

Also protesting their removal, a former director of administration of the party, Abubakar Suleiman, accused the APC's NWC led by the national chairman of failing to disclose their sin before forcing them into ‘compulsory annual leave’.

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Suleiman claimed that Adamu lied and that the secretariat was in good hands before his resumption of duty as the national chairman

He said:

“As directors, we didn’t approve anything. Our job was to implement. If the party feels otherwise, let the EFCC or other anti-corruption body be invited to investigate the APC accounts, including the secret ones being operated by the party leadership.”

In addition to the approval of allowances for the NWC, sources said that the members of the committee also paid themselves four-year benefits.

The source said:

“Adamu and the NWC members have paid themselves four-year allowances upfront. Of course, they are doing this because they know many of them can’t stay long in that secretariat and it is unfortunate many people are afraid to talk about it.

“We made N39bn just from the sale of forms at the convention, you won’t believe that by September (last month), the party leadership spent over N20bn out of it."

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Labour Party's spokesperson breathes fire, calls for Atiku's disqualification over alleged inciting comments

Atiku Abubakar had earlier been accused of stocking ethnic division between the northerners and the southerners.

The allegation was laid on Atiku by the spokesperson for the Labour Party, Kenneth Okonkwo on Thursday, October 27.

Okonkwo urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify Atiku for violating Section 97 of the Electoral Law.

'Nigeria's presidency not retirement home for sick, aged,' Peter Obi issues strong warning ahead of 2023 polls

Nigerians have been warned against handing over the country to presidential candidates who are either sick or too weak to handle the responsibility of governance.

This advice was handed to Nigerians by the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi on Saturday, October 27,

Obi also assured Nigerians that he would work tirelessly with his team especially his running mate, Yusuf Ahmed-Datti to solve the nation's challenges.

Source: Legit.ng