Northern Senators, under the aegis of Northern Senators Forum Wednesday sacked their chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu over allege “financial mismanagement and maladministration.”
Adamu, a third time Senator and an ally of President Muhammadu Buhari in the Senate, represents Nasarawa West in the upper chamber.
The senators announced Senator Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto North) as replacement for Adamu.
A letter addressed to the “The President of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria,” and signed by Senator Dino Melaye (Director of Publicity, Northern Senators Forum) detailed reasons for the removal of Adamu.
The letter was read by Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over Senate plenary Wednesday.
Entitled “Announcement of removal of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as chairman Northern Senators Forum” the removal letter read in part:
“This is to inform the Senate that the majority signatories of members of the Northern Senators Forum; we have removed Senator Abdullahi Adamu as chairman of the Northern Senators Forum for financial mismanagement and misadministration. We announce his replacement with Senator Aliyu Wamakko immediately. Find the attached names and signatories of members. Signed, Senator Dino Melaye, Director of Publicity Northern Senators Forum.”
At a press briefing by Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi in company with Senators Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central) Isah Hamman Misau (Bauchi Central) the drama of Adamu’s removal as Northern Senators Forum further played out.
Asked to explain the meaning of “financial mismanagement and misadministration” leveled against Adamu, Abdullahi , Sani to threw more light on the allegation.
The Kaduna Central lawmaker in trademark dramatic fashion said: “Abdullahi Adamu is a distinguished senator and an elder statesman. There are some things that some of my colleagues cannot say but I’m not used to holding back what is the truth.
“When we resumed as senators, when we assumed office, Senator Ahmed Lawan (Senate Leader) tendered the sum of N70 million to the 8th Senate that is, N70 million was monies gathered by Northern Senators from the 7th Senate. So it was handed over to the 8th senators from Northern Nigeria under the 8th Senate.
“The rumours going round whether it is true but I believe most of the Senators know is the fact. There were allegations that some monkeys raided the farm house of some of the executives in Northern Senators Forum and carted away some of these monies.
“I think this country is becoming a huge joke, first of all it was the rodent that drove away the President, we now have snakes consuming about N36 million, and now you have monkeys carting away N70 million from a farm house.”
Sani who stressed the necessity for Adamu to speak on the issue said “I support that it is very important that the distinguished senator who is a respected elder statesman should be around to protect and defend his integrity.”
Also speaking on what informed the removal of Adamu, Melaye said, “All I will just say is simple, that the decision of the majority of the Northern Senators’ Forum is that they want to have a change of leadership.
“The allegations investigated and found out to be true are that there was financial mismanagement; that monies were spent without consent of members and Excos were not contacted; and that the organisation is becoming moribund and ineffective.
“We are not doing the things that we are supposed to do and we need to inject some vibrancy into the organisation, and that many positions have been taken without consulting with the Exco and other members of the organisation.”
Efforts to find out Adamu’s side of the story were unsuccessful.
He was said to have insisted that the time was not ripe for him to speak on the issue.
Reporters who trooped to Adamu’s office for his reaction were disappointed as he was quoted to have said that he would speak at the appropriate time.
A source said that the allegation of financial mismanagement leveled against Adamu may be a smoke screen to cover up the real issue.
The source recalled that Adamu led nine other senators last Wednesday to oppose the amendment of the Electoral Act which reordered the sequence of elections in the country.
According to the source “The attack on Adamu is just the beginning. Information available to some of us is that all those who participated in the walk out to address the press on the amendment of the Electoral Act may not escape sanction one way or the other. Recall that Omo-Agege has been referred to the Ethics committee for investigation. His apology may not save him.”