Politics

Adamu Uncovers ‘Ghost Workers’ In APC Secretariat

Published

3 years ago

October 21, 2022

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, has unearthed a can of worms plaguing the party’s secretariat, saying he inherited baggage of corruption, salary arrears and ghost workers.

Adamu made the revelation during a media parley with journalists at the party headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.

The clarification is coming on the heels of report that the former Nasarawa State governor had replaced some suspended departmental directors of the secretariat with his relatives and cronies.

The six affected directors namely Elder Anietie Offong (Welfare); Bartholomew Ugwoke (Research); Abubakar Suleiman (Finance); Dr Suleiman Abubakar (Administration); Salisu Dambatta (Publicity) and Dare Oketade, Legal Head, were allegedly accused of mismanaging N7.7bn.

Adamu had on April 22 ordered the directors to proceed on a “compulsory annual leave.”

Although the former Nasarawa governor promised to run a staff audit, the result of the exercise which showed an over-bloated workforce was not implemented.

Instead, the party chairman consequently set up an investigative panel headed by an ex-Governor of Jigawa State, Ali Kudu, to study the handing-over notes of the defunct Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee.

It was the fallout of the committee’s recommendations that compelled Adamu to place the departmental directors and head of legal services on an indefinite suspension.

In the last one week, the media has been awash with report of new helmsmen replacing four of the six axed directors.

Defending his action in a media parley with newsmen on Thursday, Adamu disclosed that the move was necessitated by the need to sanitise the system.

This was as he denied allegation that the new replacement were his cronies.

He said, “That the report is false. The fact of the matter is, go through the secretariat, there is not one person since we came in here that is my blood relation. Not one, whether primary or part of my extended family.

“It is a fallacy (that I have my people working here). In fact, when we came here, it was to reorganise and reconstitute the party. You don’t see the party in a state of mess and look the other way just because you want to be decent and not offend anybody.”

While claiming that he met a cesspool of corruption, tardy staff and a register containing over 200 names including ghost workers, the APC chairman swore that it was not in his DNA to overlook such anomalies.

He also swore that his action was done out of motivation to right the wrongs and not as prejudice as being speculated in the media.

“We came and found the party where people are fixing all manners of things. We had a bill of N7.5bn to settle on legal matters alone. We came to find that here everybody was like me, on his own. No control, no system and no due process. Everybody doing what he wanted to do. It is just because you don’t want to be accused of anything that you will allow those kinds of people.

“My DNA has a terrible allergy to that. I am sure most, if not all, of my members in the NWC share in this. So we found the necessity to reorganise the centre and only God knows the extent of appreciation we probably have won. Of course, every situation of change has a victim of its own and ours is not an exception. And we didn’t do anything with bias or prejudice. The main thing is the interest of the party.

“I know we will be abused and falsely accused but we are humans. I am not saying we don’t make mistakes. But the fact of the matter is that there is nothing we have done deliberately just to promote our own interests. We don’t do it. There is a lot of falsehood going on.

Ghost workers in APC headquarters
“Recently, we tried to introduce table payment. If you are a member of this chapel, you know we don’t have 200 people working for us here. But if you go through the payroll, we are over 200 people. Who are they? How did they come up on their bill? What are they doing for us? Where are their letters of appointment? What condition of service do they have?

“You don’t, because you are afraid of negative media reviews, ignore this. People went to the market square saying we are arranging salaries but can’t pay. That is very far from the truth. We met and paid some arrears when we came in. I don’t have any qualms about this. We did everything in good faith,” he said.

The PUNCH also reached out to the affected directors to get their reactions.

An unhappy Salisu Dambatta, who was the former Director of Publicity in the APC, told The PUNCH that he doesn’t want to join issues with the party.

According to him, it will not be good for the image of the party, especially at a time when the Presidential Candidate of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has commenced his campaign.

Former Legal Head of the APC, Dare Oketade, also told our reporter that the ex-director of administration was in a better position to relate their plight.

He also believed their predicament was more of a witch-hunt than the flimsy allegation of corruption Adamu was trying to rope them with.

When contacted, the emotional admin director, Abubakar Suleiman, told The PUNCH that the whole drama looked like it was pre-arranged.

Suleiman accused the Adamu-led NWC of failing to narrate their “sin” before plunging them into “compulsory annual leave,” an act that culminated in appointment of their replacements.

“Adamu lied. My brother, nothing went wrong. The secretariat was in good hands. What necessitated his decision was not known to us or anybody. It was an agenda. Nobody was indicted. I am sure you must have heard from others too. Nothing went wrong anywhere.

“As directors, we don’t approve anything. Our job was to implement,” he bemoaned.

Asked where the allegation of N7.7bn was coming from, he dismissed the idea, saying it was non-existent.

He noted, “Nothing like that. Nobody is aware of the N7.7bn you said he talked about. No money was missing. There were also no ghost workers anywhere. Every staff you see at the secretariat there was duly engaged with letters of employment. At the time we left, the staff strength was about 211 workers.

“All these talks of corruption and others must have been an after-thought, I am sure. All the suspension letter told us was that it was based on the recommendation of the committee set up.”

A copy of the letter written to them by the party’s national secretary and made available to our correspondent indicated that they were removed as a result of the recommendations contained in the report of the Transition Committee Adamu appointed.

The director of administration lamented that at the bottom of the letter, “each of us was wished well in his future endeavours.”

Despite writing President Muhammadu Buhari and copying Tinubu, members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, National Executive Committee and party chieftains, no action was taken, according to the director.

A pensive Suleiman, however, concluded that they might consider litigation if all entreaties to reinstate them fail.

This was as he reiterated that Adamu and the NWC lacked the power to recruit or disengage staff without the approval of the National Executive Committee of the Party.

He said, “The power given to them by NEC then was only to organise primaries and national convention. They have acted beyond their remit by sending us on compulsory annual leave which is strange to the APC staff condition of service and breached the APC constitution by saying that they have removed us.

“An Establishment Committee is the only body that can make recommendation to engage or remove staff of the APC secretariat. And even then, it can only become effective when or if the NEC approves. There must be genuine reasons for either recruitment or disengagement.

“Our dismissal has not followed any due process. It is unfair. You just don’t go about tarnishing people’s image. You were about the only journalist that called to verify the truth.

“I have put 22 years of service into this party through the whole transition and merger process from the AD. But what Adamu just did was to bring in his cronies and people to run things at the secretariat.

“If he tells you his people are not working at the secretariat, he lied. Quote me anywhere. He has his people in positions of leadership including those he brought in as aides and personal assistants. We need to call a spade a spade.”
PUNCH

Politics

BREAKING: EFCC Chairman, Former Rivers Sole administrator Ibas In Aso Rock

Published

2 hours ago

September 24, 2025

Editor

The immediate past sole administrator of Rivers State, Ibok-Ete Ibas, and the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, are currently at the State House in Abuja.

Although the reason for their presence at the Villa could not be immediately ascertained, it was gathered that President Bola Tinubu had summoned Ibas.

According to Channels TV, Ibas arrived at the State House on Wednesday at around 5:50 pm.

Ibas, who took over the affairs of the state in March following the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, had last week handed power back to the governor after Tinubu lifted the six-month suspension.

Members of the State House of Assembly had also resolved to probe Ibas’s six-month administration.

Politics

Natasha Resumes At Senate, Calls Akpabio Dictator

Published

12 hours ago

September 24, 2025

Editor

The Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, on Tuesday resumed legislative duties at the National Assembly after months of suspension, describing Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, as a “dictator.”

Her return followed the unsealing of her office, located in Suite 2.05 of the Senate Wing, by the Deputy Director of the National Assembly Sergeant-at-Arms, Alabi Adedeji.

Upon resumption, Senator Natasha, who has been on suspension, remained resolute, insisting that she has “no apology to tender.”

She said, “In retrospect, it is actually amazing how much we have had to pay in the past six months, from the unjust suspension to the recall. But we survived the recall, blackmail and that crazy lady on Facebook.

“It is amazing what we had to pass through, and I give God Almighty the glory and my deepest appreciation to the people of Kogi Central and Nigerians at large. To my husband, I love you dearly. I pray all men support their wives in the same manner you have supported me.

“In everything, sometimes it is good to push the institution to the test. We can’t cower in the face of injustice. No one is more Nigerian than us. Senator Akpabio is not more of a senator than I am. He is not the governor of this place, yet he treated me as if I were a servant or domestic staff in his house.

“It is so unfortunate that we will have a National Assembly being run by such a dictator. It is totally unacceptable.”

The office had been locked since March 6, 2025, when the lawmaker was suspended from the Red Chamber.

In a video shared on Tuesday, Adedeji was seen removing the seal.

“I, Alabi Adedeji, Deputy Director, Sergeant-at-Arms, hereby unseal the office. The office is hereby unsealed. Thank you,” he declared.

Upon resumption, Akpoti-Uduaghan, who has been at the centre of a protracted standoff with the Senate leadership, maintained her defiance, stressing that she had “no apology to tender.”

The embattled lawmaker was handed a six-month suspension in March, barring her from all activities of the 10th Senate over alleged misconduct during her protest against the reassignment of her seat by Senate President Godswill Akpabio on February 20.

Although her suspension formally lapsed in September, she was unable to return due to legal tussles and resistance from Senate leadership. On July 4, however, the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the suspension was excessive and unconstitutional.

Following the judgment, Akpoti-Uduaghan wrote to the Senate notifying it of her intention to resume duties, but the request was rebuffed by the National Assembly.

It, however, remains unclear whether Tuesday’s development restores her full privileges as a senator and if the senator will be allowed to sit with her colleagues when plenary resumes on October 7.

Meanwhile, the Senate leadership has again altered its legislative calendar, shifting the resumption of plenary sittings from September 23 to October 7, 2025.

The postponement was conveyed in an internal memo signed by the Chief of Staff to the Senate President, Chinedu Akubueze.

The shift in date has raised eyebrows within the National Assembly as it extends the chamber’s annual recess by another two weeks.

While no official reason was given, sources told our correspondent that the delay was intended to allow lawmakers to fully observe the Independence Day celebrations on October 1.

In the memo titled “Notice of Shift in Plenary Resumption Date,” Akubueze also apologised to the senators for the belated information.

It read, “This is to respectfully inform distinguished senators that the resumption of plenary sitting of the Senate, earlier scheduled for Tuesday, 23rd September, 2025, has been shifted to Tuesday, 7th October, 2025.

“Any inconvenience this short notice may cause is deeply regretted. Distinguished senators are kindly invited to note the postponement and adjust their schedules accordingly.

“Thank you for your kind understanding, and God bless.”

The Senate had adjourned plenary on July 24 for its annual recess.

At the time, the Senate President justified the move as an act of “chamber reciprocity,” since members of the House of Representatives had also embarked on a break in line with the legislative calendar.

With the latest adjustment, critical debates and pending motions—including oversight inquiries into government spending and executive appointments—will remain on hold.

Politics

Defamation Charges: Natasha Accuses FG Of Double Standard

Published

24 hours ago

September 23, 2025

Editor

The lawmaker representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, on Monday, launched a strong legal offensive against the Federal Government, describing the criminal defamation charges filed against her as a brazen act of political persecution and an exhibition of double standard by the Federal Government.

In a preliminary objection seeking the dismissal of the six counts filed against her by the Attorney General of the Federation, the Kogi senator contended that while the Federal Government was quick to file charges against her based on the complaint of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, the same government ignored her own earlier petitions against Akpabio.

The charges, filed under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024, were brought following petitions by Akpabio and ex-Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, over remarks she allegedly made during a public address and a television interview.

Her arraignment on June 20 drew national attention, with many opposition figures alleging that the case was politically motivated.

She was granted bail on self-recognition after pleading not guilty.

The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/195/2025, is being prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mohammed Abubakar.

In her defence on Monday, Akpoti-Uduaghan filed preliminary objections before both the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory and the Federal High Court, challenging the jurisdiction of the courts and insisting that the Attorney-General of the Federation has no locus standi to prosecute what she described as a private defamation case.

Her legal team, led by four Senior Advocates of Nigeria—Prof. Roland Otaru (SAN); Dr. E. West-Idahosa (SAN); J.J. Usman (SAN); and M.J. Numa (SAN)—argued that the charges were “unconstitutional, frivolous, and designed to intimidate opposition voices.”

The defence further submitted exhibits showing that her comments fell within the ambit of public discourse and media commentary, noting that prosecuting her statements as crimes was inconsistent with democratic norms.

Her lawyers maintained that: “Defamation matters are inherently civil in nature and that attempting to criminalise them constitutes intimidation, suppresses free speech, and represents a misuse of the criminal justice system.”

Akpoti-Uduaghan also accused the authorities of selective justice, alleging that while her petitions over threats to her life by the complainants were ignored, the same institutions hastily filed charges against her.

She contends that the disparity represents a violation of her constitutional rights, “particularly Section 42, and represents discriminatory prosecution because of my opposition political affiliation.”

The charges centre on her claim that Akpabio allegedly instructed Bello to have her killed in Kogi State—a statement she reportedly made at a public gathering in Ihima on April 4, 2025, and later repeated during a television interview.

Prosecutors say the remarks were false, malicious, and capable of inciting violence, endangering lives, and breaching public order.

Her defence team has urged the courts to dismiss the charges at the preliminary stage, warning that allowing the matter to proceed would not only waste taxpayers’ resources but also undermine the credibility of the justice system.

Her strong pushback comes just hours after the Federal High Court in Abuja adjourned the matter to October 20, following an objection raised by her counsel, Ehiogie West-Idahosa (SAN).

Meanwhile, a coalition of women’s rights organisations has taken the standoff between Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Senate to the United Nations, accusing Senate leadership of gender-based discrimination.

In a formal complaint submitted on Monday to UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, Reem Alsalem, the Womanifesto Network—representing more than 350 organisations—argued that the Senate’s actions breach Nigeria’s obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women which the country ratified in 1985.

“This is about the integrity of our democracy. If a senator can be silenced for reporting harassment, what hope do ordinary women have?” asked the group’s convener, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi.

The complaint urges the UN to pressure Nigeria’s government and the Senate to comply with a Federal High Court ruling by reinstating Akpoti-Uduaghan immediately, and to establish an impartial investigation into her harassment claim.

Signatories to the petition include Amnesty International Nigeria, FIDA Nigeria, Baobab for Women’s Human Rights, Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ), and Stand to End Rape.

The activists warned that the Senate’s refusal to comply with the court order sends a dangerous signal to women in politics.

“This case shows that sexual harassment in politics isn’t just a personal violation—it’s a threat to women’s participation in governance,” the petition states.

As of press time, the UN Special Rapporteur’s office had not yet responded.

Akpoti-Uduaghan went public on February 20 with allegations that Senate President Godswill Akpabio harassed her—claims Akpabio has strongly denied. Days later, the Senate’s Ethics and Privileges Committee recommended a six-month suspension, citing breaches of parliamentary procedure.

The suspension stripped her of salary, security, and access to the chamber, drawing outrage from civil society groups who said the punishment was retaliatory and disproportionate.

On July 4, the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled the suspension unconstitutional and ordered her reinstatement. But the Senate has blocked her return, arguing that the judgment contained no binding reinstatement order and remains “under litigation.”