By Emmanuel Kwada
In a strongly worded rebuttal, prominent All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Dr. Umar Duhu has described the recent resignation of Chief Dr. Maurice Vunobolki from the party as an act of bad faith and political blackmail that will not be tolerated.
Dr. Duhu, a pioneer National Vice Chairman (North-East) of the APC and holder of LLM and Ph.D degrees in Law and Politics, issued the rejoinder titled “REJOINDER TO THE PURPORTED LETTER OF RESIGNATION BY MAURICE VUNOBOLKI” on Tuesday, 14th April, 2026.
The statement was in direct response to Vunobolki’s announcement of his exit from the APC, which he justified on grounds of alleged lack of transparency and fairness within the party in Adamawa State.
In the detailed rebuttal, Dr. Duhu argued that the resignation, which came barely weeks after Vunobolki joined the party, was premature and clearly motivated by mala fide intentions.
He described it as forum shopping and an attempt to use the party as a political inn to be discarded at will.
According to Dr. Duhu, the timing of the resignation—on the eve of internal party processes—coupled with reported incitement of supporters to withdraw across the 21 Local Government Areas of Adamawa State, amounted to constructive sabotage and an effort to hold the party to ransom.
Dismissing Vunobolki’s allegations of manipulated congress frameworks and irregular membership registrations, Dr. Duhu noted that such serious claims were made without any specific particulars, dates, or documentary evidence.
He stressed that under established legal principles, he who asserts must prove, adding that bare allegations cannot override the presumption of regularity attached to the decisions of party organs carried out in line with Articles 9, 20, and 21 of the APC Constitution (2022 as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2022.
The APC stalwart further invoked the doctrine of estoppel, pointing out that Vunobolki, having benefited from the party’s platform, structures, and goodwill to publicly announce his gubernatorial ambition, cannot now turn around to denounce the same platform as unfair.
He maintained that the resigning aspirant is bound by the party’s rules and must exhaust internal dispute-resolution mechanisms before taking drastic steps such as resignation.
On claims that the integration of new entrants into the party was flawed due to lack of harmonisation of interests, Dr. Duhu described the assertion as a misapprehension of party politics.
He emphasised that political realignments are guided by the doctrine of party supremacy and numerical strength, and that the APC Constitution guarantees equal opportunity to contest rather than automatic tickets or offices.
Dr. Duhu also addressed the veiled threat of a broader exodus from the party, describing it as an attempt at political blackmail.
“The APC is not a party that negotiates under duress or succumbs to political blackmail,” he declared, adding that the party’s existence and electoral strength cannot be held hostage by the personal grievances of any single aspirant.
In his prayers to the leadership of the APC in Adamawa State and the National Working Committee, Dr. Duhu urged them to take judicial notice that the resignation has no effect on the validity of existing party structures, to disregard calls for mass withdrawal, and to refer Vunobolki’s conduct to the appropriate disciplinary committee if it is found to have brought the party into disrepute.
He also called for reaffirmation that all primaries in the state will be conducted freely, fairly, and in strict compliance with the party’s constitution, the Electoral Act, and INEC guidelines.
Concluding his statement, Dr. Duhu asserted that the APC in Adamawa is not fractured but merely competitive, stressing that healthy competition should not be misconstrued as crisis.
He warned the party against being stampeded into hasty decisions that could later be challenged for lack of due process.
The development comes amid growing tensions within the Adamawa State chapter of the APC as the party prepares for internal processes ahead of future elections.
Read Also: Breaking: Chief Vunobolki Resigns from APC Cites Lack of Transparency, Imposed Candidate…
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