APC As National Secretary Threatens To Sue  National Vice-Chairman, Demands N500 Million

Internal party crisis is currently rocking the ruling All Progressive Congress as the party's National Secretary, Iyiola Omisore, has threatened to take the vice-chairman of the party in the North-west, Salihu Lukman, to court.

Mr Omisore also asked for the payment of N500 million from vice-chairman over alleged false statement and libel.

It was learnt that Omisore and Lukman, who are both members of the national working committee (NWC) of the ruling party, have been at the loggerheads.

The Nigerian Voice recalls that Lukman, while speaking in an interview on Tuesday, had called on Omisore to resign from his position for alleged management of campaign funds.

The APC vice chairman accused Omisore of mismanaging campaign funds meant for the Osun state election which the APC lost to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Lukman said: “I’m aware the party has given some campaign funds to Osun which was handled by the national secretary and to some extent, he has either mismanaged it but more importantly, he’s not accounting to anybody and you have to activate the process of accountability.”

Meanwhile, in a letter dated March 15 and addressed to Lukman by the counsel to the APC National Secretary, Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), Lukman’s comment was described as false which aimed at maligning Omisore’s character.

Oyewole said: “It is clear beyond doubt that your statement and publication was a political ploy with the intent of impugning the reputation and integrity of our client and unjustifiably and unwarrantedly assassinating his character in the eyes of right-thinking members of the public.

“Our client has consequently directed us to request for a retraction of your libelous statement and publication and an apology to be published in two major newspapers and several online news outlets not later than 48 hours of the delivery of this letter and also the payment of the sum of N500,000,000 as damages for malicious statement against our client.

“TAKE NOTICE that if you fail to heed the request of our client within 48 hours of the receipt of this letter, we shall be constrained to proceed to the court of law against you for exemplary damages for injurious falsehood and malicious statement made of and concerning our client.”