By Anastasia John E, Abuja
A financial scandal has emerged within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State, with allegations that funds from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), designated for educational development, have been misappropriated to support party activities.
A petition obtained by SaharaReporters claims that the APC State Working Committee received N325 million from TETFUND, intended for party operations from October 2023 to October 2024.
Patricia Yakubu, the APC Women Leader in Adamawa, has raised serious concerns in her petition to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, accusing senior party officials of embezzlement and mismanagement of these funds.
The petition asserts that the funds, meant for the day-to-day operations of the party, were diverted through individual accounts, circumventing official party financial structures and causing significant hardship for ordinary party members.
Yakubu’s petition also alleges that the state party leadership concealed contracts awarded by TETFUND to educational institutions, including the Federal College of Education (FCE) Yola and Gombe Medical College (GMMC), which were reportedly sold for profit.
Additionally, it is claimed that N15 million from former Education Minister Prof. Tahir Mamman was misappropriated, with only a small portion distributed among party executives.
The petition details an alleged conspiracy within the party leadership to remove Yakubu from her position, which she believes is an attempt to cover up the financial irregularities.
She is calling for immediate intervention from higher party authorities to investigate the allegations and restore confidence in the leadership of the APC in Adamawa.
In her petition, Yakubu stated: “I wish to respectfully draw your attention to some serious violations of party constitution, injustice, monumental fraud, and lack of mature leadership being committed by a few members of the State Working Committee, which may require your urgent intervention.”
She elaborated on the financial misconduct, noting that payments of N25 million monthly from TETFUND began in October 2023 and are expected to continue until October 2024, totaling N325 million.
“The funds, meant for daily party activities, have been mismanaged, with the party account abandoned and key financial officers sidelined,” she wrote. “Some party executives are struggling to afford basic necessities, including school fees and medical care.”
Yakubu also highlighted the secrecy surrounding contracts from TETFUND at educational institutions and the significant amount of unaccounted funds from the former minister’s donation, urging for a thorough investigation into these matters.
