Lawal edges Atiku, throws Yohanna out of NWC meeting as Adamawa ADC battle shifts to Abuja
• Atiku’s loyalists stormed out in anger, vow revenge
In a well calculated maneuver for the control of the levers of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Adamawa State, former Secretary to the Federal Government of the Federation, Eng. David Lawal Babachir has tactically edged out former vice president Atiku Abubakar in a simmering power play that emerged recently.
Reports indicated that in a humiliating gesture, the former SSG asked security officials to throw out Shehu Yohanna, Atiku’s preferred state chairman out of the venue.
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It may be recalled that the former SGF who is the North East national Vice chairman of ADC, was conspicuously missing during the high profile official registration of Atiku into ADC in his home town of Jada last week attended by many high ranking members of the party.
The absence of Lawal has sparked insinuations of a rift between the two leaders which became more pronounced after Lawal attributed his absence to shift in date of the registration without due consultation.
ADC in Adamawa State has faced growing internal strife resulting in its balkanization along three splinter groups.
Our reporter learnt that there was serious fracas today at the venue of ADC NWC meeting following the resolve of some concerned ADC stakeholders to block both Shehu Yohanna the Atiku Abubakar preferred ADC chairman and Mustapha Arabi, Lawal’s preferred ADC chairman from the meeting following unresolved leadership conundrum.
During the meeting, materials for the forthcoming massive membership registration drive will be shared to chairmen of the party across the 36 states of the Federation and FCT, this paper learnt.
As the standoff persists, our reporter learnt that Lawal planted a decoy by asking the youths to shift grounds and allow the two chairmen to enter into the venue.
But after they settled down for the day’s business, Lawal allegedly mobilized more security personnel and asked them to throw Shehu Yohanna, out of the venue.
Our reporter learnt that irked by what they termed as monumental betrayal, the Atiku loyalists stormed out of the venue and are said to be planning to hold an emergency meeting in order to counter the seeming betrayal by Lawal.
An Atiku loyalists Hon. Umar Sadiq Jada told our reporter that they have left the place because “there is no need to be around where you are not needed.”
Efforts to talk to Yohanna over the incident was unsuccessful as he failed to pick calls directed to his mobile phone number.
