Embattled Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State, Ibrahim Bilal, has dismissed his purported sack by the party excos. Recall that about 25 fellow state excos on Monday announced the sack of Bilal. However, Bilal in a statement Monday evening insisted that he remains the state chairman of the APC. Twenty-five of […]
Adamawa APC crisis: Bilal dismisses sack by state exco, says, ‘I remain chairman’
Embattled Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State, Ibrahim Bilal, has dismissed his purported sack by the party excos.
Recall that about 25 fellow state excos on Monday announced the sack of Bilal.
However, Bilal in a statement Monday evening insisted that he remains the state chairman of the APC.
Twenty-five of the 36 members of the state Executive Committee had signed a petition alleging acts of corruption and ineptitude against Bilal, passing a vote of no confidence on him, and following up with the swearing in of Bilal’s deputy, Samaila Tidawus as the new chairman.
In his reaction, however, Bilal stated that, “Only the National Working Committee of the APC reserves the power in a dispute or crisis to remove an elected chairman.
“While we await the dust to settle on my purported removal as chairman, I am encouraged by the outpouring of goodwill from party stakeholders who have said that this grave desecration of the rule of law will never be allowed to prevail.
“I want to reassure our party stakeholders to disregard the actions of a motley crowd of enemies within, acting the script of the opposition to plunge the party into crisis at the verge of crucial elections.”
Bilal added that a condemnation of his ‘sack’ by many prominent partymen, including Senator Elisha Abbo who represents Adamawa North Senatorial Zone in the National Assembly, is a good omen.
“This charade by a few persons who, acting like bandits broke into our serene party secretariat to do what they did, will obviously not stand. We must never allow them truncate the tenet of internal democracy anchored on the rule of law,” Bilal said.
In what was seen as a huge support for Bilal, Senator Abbo released a statement Monday evening, describing Bilal’s removal as a joke.
Abbo stated, “Those who claim you have authority from the Villa should know that not all is eaten from the Villa. And those who claim to be doing so for Nuhu (Malam Nuhu Ribadu) should not pitch Nuhu against the people… Disregard the joke. Bilal is still the Chairman.”
DAILY POST reports that from when the plot to remove Bilal started roughly two weeks ago with the former EFCC chairman Nuhu Ribadu seen as orchestrating it through his nephew, Mustapha Ribadu, who as the state Organising Secretary of the APC, became one of the 25 EXCO members who signed the petition that the EXCO used against Bilal Monday morning.
Adamawa APC crisis: Bilal dismisses sack by state exco, says, ‘I remain chairman’