The All Progressives Congress (APC), is burdened by a huge debt of N8.9 billion debts arising from election litigations, National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has cried out.
Ganduje who revealed this on Wednesday, is, therefore, appealing for a bail out. He said the debts were as a result of election legal cases filed by the opposition parties against President Bola Tinubu, APC governors and legislators.
The former Kano State governor, who was speaking at the National Executive Committee meeting of the APC, said the N8.9bn expenses were for pre-election legal battles, election cases and appeals for legislative, governorship, and presidential elections.
He said the party’s National Legal Adviser, Prof Abdul Kareem Kana (SAN), had been working to reduce the debt burden.
“Your Excellencies, the current NWC inherited debts and legal liabilities to the total tune of N8,987,874,663 from all the cases outlined above, ranging from legal engagements during the pre-election matters, election cases and appeals for legislative, governorship and presidential elections.
“The details are also contained in the document report from the office of the National Legal Adviser in your folder. The National Legal Adviser has been making frantic efforts toward reducing the debt burden through dialogue and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
“However, we still passionately appeal to the National Executive Committee to intervene accordingly. It is important to note that some of our accounts are still garnisheed.”
Ganduje also appealed to Tinubu to help secure a parcel of land from the Federal Capital Territory Administration for the construction of a new secretariat, adding that the current structure is old and not befitting the status of a ruling party.
He said, “Your Excellencies, as part of our commitment to secure and own a national secretariat complex befitting of a ruling party and one that would conveniently accommodate our national officers, the newly established The Progressives Institute as well as the three wings of the party, we have formally applied for land at the Federal Capital Territory Administration that will drive this project.
Ganduje said efforts are on to appease and reconcile aggrieved members of the party, adding that “we have also embarked on massive reconciliation of aggrieved party members, and this move is gradually yielding desired positive results for the party.
“Through dialogue, we have initiated high-level discussions amongst party leaders and other stakeholders with a view to resolving lingering differences between our members,” he stated.
At the NEC meeting were President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima; Senate President Goodwill Akpabio; Speaker, House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole and former governor of Zamfara State, Senator Abdulaziz Yari.
Others were the National Chairman of the APC, Ganduje; former Governor of Kebbi and Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu; Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, members of the National Working Committee; APC state chairmen, among others.
However, some notable bigwigs did not attend the NEC meeting, including the immediate-past President Muhammadu Buhari; former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; the embattled former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai; former Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi, erstwhile Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi.
Others were former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and former Speaker and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
