Hong warns against leadership takeover in Adamawa APC, urges Tinubu to ensure justice
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Idi Hong, has taken a firm and uncompromising stance against any move that would allow new entrants into the party to assume leadership of the Adamawa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), warning that such a development would amount to grave injustice to long-standing members.
Speaking during his formal defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC at the party’s state secretariat in Yola, Hong called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC National Chairman and the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) not to permit unmerited annexation of the Adamawa APC by ranking outsiders.
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Hong in a veiled reference to the touted defection of governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri into the party noted that it is morally wrong to allow him to take over the party which others painstakingly nurtured over the years.
“We have learnt that some people want to join the party with the condition that they must become leaders. That is a gross injustice. This party has been built, nurtured, watered, fed and kept alive by committed members over the years. It is morally wrong for someone to come from outside and take over its leadership,” he said.
Hong, who was a staunch defender of Governor Fintiri’s mandate during the fiercely contested 2023 governorship election, affirmed the leadership of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu who he said is the natural leader of the party.
He stressed that Ribadu’s longstanding contributions and sacrifices for the party cannot be overlooked or derided by usurpers and political voyagers.
“The leader of our party in Adamawa State is Mallam Nuhu Ribadu,” he stressed.
Hong emphasized that the Adamawa APC is not a weak or dormant platform in need of rescue, but a formidable political structure deeply rooted across the 21 local government areas of the state.
He expressed confidence that the party is well positioned to reclaim power in 2027 without compromising its internal integrity.
The former minister explained that his decision to leave the PDP followed wide consultations with members of his political structure across the state. He said remaining in the PDP was no longer in the best interest of his supporters or their collective political aspirations.
“This move is about development, progress and aligning with a platform that can deliver for Adamawa and Nigeria. The APC provides that opportunity,” he stated.
He directed members of his political network to resign from the PDP and fully integrate into the APC, pledging to mobilize support for the party ahead of the next general elections.
The State chairman of the party, Barr. Shuaibu Idris who received him assured him of equal rights and opportunities within the APC.
