By David Lawani, Abuja
The national chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Abdullahi Adamu has stated that his leadership net over N17.5 billion debts on legal fees alone when it took over the affairs of the party for the past seven months in March.
Adamu made this known in a reaction while responding to the reports of the replacement of the suspended directors in charge of the various departments of the party’s national secretariat.
The chairman at an interactive session with journalists in Abuja on Thursday said, the suspension and subsequent replacement of the directors was part of process of cleaning the mess at the APC headquarters.
Unconfirmed rumour has it that some of the directors also ensured they placed to embark on some of the accounts of the party which in a way stiffened the urgency of the party dressing critical issues affecting it when it took over from the former interim convention planning chairman of the party.
Before now,, Adamu had on April 22, shortly after assuming office, directed all departmental directors at the party’s national secretariat to proceed on indefinite suspension over allegations of corruption.
Reports had revealed that the directors have not been recalled, instead, new set of directors have been appointed and have also resumed work.
He said:” Every change will have victims and we can say that we did not do anything with bias. Some people will feel offended but all we have done is in the best interest of the party. When we came in we met N17.5b on legal fees alone, no control or due process.
“There were more than 200 staff on the payroll and during the audit we have to query where these number of people work. They went to the media that we can’t pay the salary of staff just to blackmail us.”
The former North Central Senator also noted that all the presidential aspirants who contested the party’s presidential ticket are supporting Bola Tinubu after his emergence as the presidential candidate of the party.
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It will be noted that the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmed Lawan; Senator Rochas Okorocha the former minister of transport among others had contested the APC presidential ticket against the former Lagos state governor.
Adamu who tasked the media to meet the said presidential aspirants to hear directly from them also saying his leadership has embarked on reconciling the aggrieved party chieftains across the country.
The national chairman said: “To the best of our knowledge they are (supporting Tinubu). One thing which the fourth estate of the realm owe as a duty is that each of the aspirants for the presidency of this country that presented themselves during the June convention of the party are still alive.
“I don’t see any reason why you have not taken the initiative having observed or having the state of mind to know where do they stand today, none of you have any restrictions to meeting any of these candidates.
“It is not for me to observe, to start talking for them if you notice anything that is not the normal. Or you want something from them that you have not seen. Nothing stops you from talking to any of them.
“As for reconciliation, it is a work in progress. We have been doing that, we have been talking to them individually. They are always around in the political space. You can always meet them and ask whatever your curiosity or anxiety is. Go to them and see what they tell you.”
