APC National Vice Chair Intensifies Call For Omisore’s Removal

 

• Insists He Mismanaged Party’s Campaign Fund In Osun
• Party Scribe Denies Fraud Allegation

Yusuf Oketola

THE National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), North-West, Dr. Salihu Lukman, has intensified his call for the removal of the National Secretary of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

Lukman insisted that Omisore allegedly mismanaged the campaign funds given to him for the prosecution of July 16, 2022 governorship election in the State of Osun, by the National Secretariat of the party. 

This is coming after Omisore had threatened a legal action against Lukman for the allegation, demanding a retraction and a sum of N500m as damages from him. 

Lukman had on Tuesday during an interview on a national TV, accused Omisore of further destabilising APC in the State of Osun, instead of uniting members of the party. 

He alleged that Omisore mismanaged the campaign funds handed over to him by the party for last year governorship election and also refused to give account of the money. 

He maintained that the APC National Secretary has failed in terms of stabilising Osun and uniting people.

According to Lukman, Omisore needs to vacate his seat in order to stabilise APC in the state. 

But Omisore described the fraud allegation, demanding a retraction and payment of N500m as damages from Lukman, who made the allegation. 

The Vice Chairman said: “We must emphasise that acting as a party requires that we activate the organs of the party to function. And I think this is the struggle we have been waging and once the organs of the party are not working, then even the capacity to hold leaders to account will be weak.

“And that is where we are and that is partly what is producing some of the unhealthy development in (the party). For instance, Osun State, which is part of the reason why I said the National Secretary has failed, in terms of stabilising Osun and uniting people.

“Part of the issue with that is that I’m aware the party has given some campaign funds to Osun which was handled by the National Secretary and to some extent, he has either mismanaged it but more importantly, he is not accounting to anybody and you have to activate the process of accountability.

“And for me, I think as part of the process of accountability in order to stabilise Osun, I think the National Secretary should also vacate his seat,” he insisted.

Reacting, Omisore in a letter through his lawyer, Gboyega Oyewole, SAN, on Wednesday, debunked the allegation, stating that it was a political ploy with intent to damage his reputation and integrity.

Omisore demanded a retraction and an apology to be published in two major newspapers and several online news outlets within two days. 

The letter reads: “Our client has consequently directed us to request for a retraction of your libellous statement and publication and an apology to be published in two (2) major newspapers and several online news outlets not later than forty-eight (48) hours of the delivery of this letter and also the payment of the sum of N500 million as damages for malicious statement against our client.

“Take notice that if you fail to heed the request of our client within forty-eight (48) hours of the receipt of this letter, we shall be constrained to proceed to the court of law against you for exemplary damages, for injurious falsehood and malicious statement made of and concerning our client.”

However, Lukman, in a sharp reaction to Omisore’s demand, said he stood by his words, asking Omisore to go to court. 

He said: “I further supported my call for Sen. Omisore to vacate his position as the National Secretary with the demand for accountability around the management of campaign funds provided by the party, which was delivered through Sen. Omisore.

“Since Senator Omisore’s response to the request for accountability is to threaten legal action, I have also instructed my lawyers to respond appropriately to his legal threat. However, as a committed party member I insist that the challenges facing us as a party and as a nation are broadly political and limiting our actions to the courts may only distract us from initiating the correct responses to resolve the challenge of facilitating negotiations for the inclusive government under the leadership of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“I want to restate that being party leaders, we are obligated to facilitate negotiations through our structures, namely National Executive Committee (NEC) and National Caucus. Unfortunately, as things are, these structures have been frozen by our inactions as members of the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Senator Adamu and Senator Omisore. 

“No meetings of these structures have taken place for almost one year. The inability to make these structures functional will weaken the capacity to regulate the conduct of party leaders and we risk creating a situation whereby challenges of inclusivity will be further compounded in the country.”