Since he was announced the winner of the February 25, 2023 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has continued to strengthen his grip on power after being sworn-in as Nigerias president on May 29, 2023.
However, Tinubu seems to be consolidating his hold on power and breaking free from the influence of predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.
Recall that it was reported last month that APC leaders from across the 36 States and the FCT, ostensibly representing the tens of millions of party members, will soon be meeting in Abuja.
According to the report, the purpose is largely to sack the Senator Abdullahi Adamu led APC NWC, and rubber-stamp new party officers and constitutional changes decided long before the congress by the president.
Precisely on June 27, the leadership of the APC summoned meetings of its National Caucus and the long-awaited National Executive Committee, (NEC) for July 10 and 11 respectively.
The crucial sessions of the two statutory organs of the party, according to sources, will be attended by President Tinubu, his deputy, Kashim Shettima, former President Muhammadu Buhari, past and present APC governors, as well as former and current Senate President, Speaker of House of Representatives, National Working Committee (NWC) members and other party stakeholders.
Meanwhile, impeccable sources in the Presidency and the ruling APC informed newsmen that the meetings were called by the president in a move to further consolidate his hold on power.
According to one of the sources, President Tinubus swift sacking of former Service Chiefs and the Boards of MDAs appointed by his predecessor are signals for many that he is perhaps about to extend the reforms to the APC by putting in place his own men, his own women and his own team.
It was reliably gathered that forces opposed to the embattled APC national chairman made several unsuccessful attempts in the last two years to force Adamu to convene a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, the second highest organ of the party after the National Congress (NC).
However, Adamu, it was learnt, was shielded from incessant attacks and several plots to sack him by former President Muhammadu Buhari who ensured that the former Nasarawa State governor remained in office.
The Adamu-led NWC, it was learnt, would be suspended after being found guilty of two major infractions: anti-party activities and the mismanagement of party funds. Their suspension, it was gathered, will pave way for the appointment of a caretaker committee to be followed by the election of a new NWC at a later date.
The National Vice Chairman West of the APC, Salihu Lukman, who is a known Tinubu apologist, have been at the forefront of anti-Adamu agitations.
For instance, Salihu Lukman had severally accused Adamu of corruption, as well as frustrating all attempts to convey NEC meetings to prevent his ouster.
A Tinubu loyalist, who once served as a local government chairman in Lagos, claimed Adamus stay as party chairman is no longer tenable owing to the simple reason that the man he worked against is now the president and party leader. Another allegation against Adamu was his lack of commitment to the Tinubu presidential campaign. Meanwhile, questions still remain over who will take over from Adamu as chairman, as well as who will serve as the partys national secretary, the two most powerful positions in the NWC.
