A coalition of civil‑society organisations, operating under the Conference of Nigeria Civil Rights Activists (CNCRA), has called on Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to resign in the interest of equity, fairness and justice. In a statement signed by convener Ifeanyi Odili and secretary Sina Akadiri and released to journalists in Abuja on Sunday, the CNCRA argued that Adamu’s departure would help balance power in the incoming Bola Tinubu‑led APC government.
The activists said that Adamu’s resignation would also address Christian concerns about the party’s religious composition following the recent presidential election. They urged the chairman to step down honourably to offset the Muslim‑Muslim ticket of President‑elect Bola Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima. National Vice‑President Salihu Lukman, in a weekend statement titled “APC Internal Dynamics and the Future of Democracy,” similarly stressed that the party’s chairman must resign to make way for a Christian leader.
According to the CNCRA, “Adamu should toe the path of honour and statesmanship by tendering his resignation after the governorship and House of Assembly elections.” They added that such a move would be welcomed by Christians and would pave the way for a senior North‑Central senator to become either President or Deputy President of the Senate in the forthcoming 10th National Assembly. The group expressed enthusiasm for Lukman’s patriotic appeal for former Nasarawa governor Adamu to sacrifice his position for peace, unity and harmony.
While acknowledging Adamu’s contributions and those of the North‑Central geopolitical zone to the recently concluded presidential and National Assembly elections, the CNCRA urged the APC to compensate the region by ensuring that a dependable, loyal senior senator emerges as either President or Deputy Senate President in the 10th Assembly. With the President‑elect and his vice‑president hailing from the South‑West and North‑East, the coalition argued it would be fair to allocate the National Assembly’s presiding‑officer positions to the North‑Central, North‑West, South‑East and South‑South zones.
The statement noted that, since the return to democracy in 1999, the South‑East and North‑Central have not produced a President or Vice‑President, whereas the South‑West supplied the President from 1999 to 2007 with a North‑Eastern Vice‑President. Consequently, the CNCRA contended that the race for Senate President should be between the North‑Central and the South‑East, the latter having never produced a President or Vice‑President. They urged Senator Abdullahi Adamu to step aside as a man of honour and lead the campaign for a Senate presiding officer from the North‑Central.
The CNCRA further recommended that Senator Sani Musa, representing the Niger East senatorial district, be considered for the Senate presidency. They highlighted his qualifications, including his role as chairman of the Senate Services Committee, four years of experience working closely with Senate President Ahmad Lawan, a clean criminal record, and the respect he commands among colleagues in the National Assembly and the APC. The group believes Musa would contribute significantly to stabilising the incoming administration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu through effective legislation and oversight, curbing revenue leakages and tackling insecurity.
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