On July 16, 2023, Abdullahi Adamu stepped down from his role as the chairperson of the All-Progressives Congress (APC). Following his resignation, various videos have surfaced on Facebook, suggesting that his departure was linked to a court decision that nullified the outcome of the February presidential election.
These videos claim that Adamu resigned because the Presidential Election Petition Court invalidated President Bola Tinubu’s election due to his failure to secure 25% of the votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. In one of the videos posted on July 17 by a user named PaPa Kevin 101, a man speaks in Pidgin English while displaying images of lawyers in a courtroom.
He alleges that Adamu resigned to distance himself from alleged APC wrongdoings, including attempts to influence judges in favor of Tinubu. The video goes on to make accusatory statements against Tinubu and the INEC Chairman, suggesting their imminent arrest.
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Another video features a man dressed in Igbo traditional attire speaking in the Igbo language. The caption claims that the court has concluded its judgment to remove Tinubu and that the APC National Chairman (Adamu) has resigned in response.
Fact-check reveals that the crisis leading to Adamu’s resignation stemmed from his refusal to acknowledge national assembly principal officers selected by the senate president and the speaker of the house of representatives. This position was met with opposition from party leaders, state governors, legislators, and some members of the national working committee.
Furthermore, it has been determined that, as of the time these videos were circulated, the court had not yet delivered its ruling. According to Section 285{5} to {7}, an election petition should be filed within 21 days after the election result declaration.
Additionally, the election tribunal is mandated to issue a written judgment within 180 days of petition filing. The tribunal began its proceedings in May 2023 to address the election petition brought forth by Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), and Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party. Both parties have presented their closing arguments, and a judgment is expected in August.
In light of these findings, the claim that Abdullahi Adamu resigned as APC national chairman due to a court nullification of Tinubu’s election is inaccurate and misleading.
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