****Says his issues with Nwosu are constitutional not personal
Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, has vowed to resist any attempt by the embattled former National chairman of the party, Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu to sell his mandate or that of any other candidate of the party.
The ADC has been enmeshed in a battle for its soul as its erstwhile National chairman have allegedly refused to vacate the seat he had been occupying for 17 years. Allegations within the party circle accused him of plotting to sell the mandates of candidates for various positions for monetary gains as he had always done.
Kachikwu indicated that his problem with the Nwosu was not personal but constitutional.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, Kachikwu said no one can sell the party, adding that he’s battle ready with legal means to fight for the party and its interests.
He said, “When you fight evil, it’s always for the right reason. Evil always thrives when good men keep quiet. Evil has thrived for 17 years because good men kept quiet.
“I want our party to understand that my issues with the immediate past Chairman are not personal, my issues are fundamental to our constitution.
“17 years of abysmal failure and they want to continue in that failure, that will never happen. As long as I’m presidential candidate of this party, no candidate will sell their mandate. I’ll fight you, I’ll take you to court, I’ll use everything legal to fight you, you cannot desecrate the image and integrity of our party. That’s the old ADC, we have a new ADC.
“The easiest thing for me to do as the presidential candidate of this party is to keep quiet. But what of the other people who cannot speak up and fight, who speaks for them? When I came into this party, I came in here determined to run a race, I came in here because Nigeria is on fire, I wanted to lead a rescue mission.
“I can look the other way and leave Nigeria, but that’s not an option for me. With what’s happening in Nigeria, you would wonder why our party would want to take the next year election lightly.”
Kachikwu warned candidates vying for various positions in the party against selling their mandates, urging them to run their race with diligence and commitment.
He said, “Money is not everything, if you stop the mandates of the party at a time like this, that’s blood money. Unfortunately for them man will always propose, but God will dispose. When they were trying to sell us and our mandates they never remembered the constitution, they never knew their time was up.
“Run your race even if you get one vote, run your race, that experience is rich. You may get zero votes in this election and next, run your race don’t give up, one day Nigerians will hear your message. Don’t let anybody deceive you, this party is not for sale.”
To this end, he addressed opposition party’s, telling them that the party wasn’t for sell, he said, “Negotiations were done with APC, this is my message to them, you are wasting your time. If you gave anybody money, collect your money, the same goes with PDP. Labour Party, you don’t give ‘shishi,’ we don’t sell ‘shishi.”