The Forum of State chairmen of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has countered alleged suspension of its Presidential Candidate by its erstwhile National Working Committee (NWC) whose tenure lapsed on the 28th of August 2022.
They likened the action of the former National chairman, Okey Nwosu and his co-travellers in the former NWC in attempting to suspend the Presidential candidate to that of a dead person that appointed himself as the Master of Ceremony (MC) at his Funeral.
In a press conference on Saturday in Abuja jointly addressed by the Kogi State chapter chairman, who is also the Chairman of the ADC State Chairmen forum, Kingsley Ogga and the Edo State chapter chairman (Secretary of the forum of State chairmen) Odion Kennedy Osas, they said the constitution does not accord any such power on an erstwhile NWC to suspend its Presidential candidate.
Ogga indicated that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party is made up of the State Party chairmen, 18 NWC members and the chairmen of the zones.
“The tenure of the NWC has elapsed so they can not be part of the NEC. Also those from the region, their tenure has expired the only person that have the right as the state party chairmen now is our serving House of Representative member, Leke Abejide who has been notified of our meeting to setup caretaker committee and he will be there.
“The suspension is Null and void, they don’t have locus standi. How can a dead man be a Master of Ceremony in the occasion of his Burial. Somebody that is dead already wants to be an MC in his own burial.
“Their tenure has elapsed how can they write. They don’t have that Locus Standi.
On the allegation that the party is working for another presidential candidate he said it is not true.
“From their position now who do you think is working for another political party. If you suspend your presidential candidate, let us assume they have that power to suspend him, what will happen? They want to take us to another political party. They are the ones that are looking for money.
On the allegation that their presidential candidate is like a place holder, that the PDP candidate put him there so that later he will step down for him, he said
“With common sense, there were 13 contestants for the ADC presidential ticket. They went for the Presidential Primary, a personality like Kingsley Mhogalu was a contestant, Monye was there, they were 13 aspirants and it was through the ballot Dumebi Kachikwu won that election. If he was a sole candidate that is when we can be talking about that.
“It was a keen contest and he won that election. So anybody that is relating him to Atiku or Obi is just doing that for nothing. It is just politics.”
The secretary of the forum on his part said, “We have made it mandatory to reposition our party, ADC to an enviable height away from when the former leaders will gather the people together at the end of every four years to sell the party and wait for another four years to engage a new fellow that wants to bid for the party.
“That has come to an end with the quality of candidate that we have right now in Dumebi Kachukwu.
“As a matter fact we are also well informed of what erstwhile NWC have done by emptying the coffers of our party and all the security agencies a being notified to this effect and very soon these issues will be raised and those connected would be arrested and prosecuted accordingly
“We also learnt that the out gone NWC led by the former national chairman for the past 17years of his being at the helm of affairs the party has not been able to win even a counsellorship seat in his own unit, charity the say begins at home.
“I am a state chairman of Edo, as a matter of fact I am notifying the media today that the world will hear that at the end of 2023 election, I will win my unit, my ward and even my local government that is how to show capacity that you are actually a leader in your party, so if you have not been able to do that in the last 17 years what moral justification do you have to tell people that you a leader?”
“If I were the one I would have bowed out and allow people who have the capacity to do so.
“My advise to those who are in support of what they are doing right now is to kindly have a rethink and see how they can realign themselves with someone who has a mission to rescue this nation so that we can all together Celebrate at the end of 2023 election. “Our presidential Candidate won the election on the basis of free and fair primary in Abeokuta. We also owe the new NWC that will be coming anytime soon a level playing ground to contest election and give them a free and fair national convention to emerge.
“We are not going to be sentimental in all our actions which we have been upholding. No individual is being targeted in any action that we have taken so far, but it is just to rescue the party to reposition it to have capacity to confront this election in 2023.
“No party worth the sort will suspend its presidential candidate when election is just at the corner. As they are claiming that there is war, there is no crises in ADC. It is just natural for peoples tenure to expire and it is natural for them to bow out of office. Why are you now trying to pass through the back door to extend your tenure when you know the processes.”