ADC FRACAS: 27 STATE CHAIRMEN SAYS NATIONAL CHAIRMAN MUST GO AFTER 17 YEARS, NEC REACTS BY SUSPENDING 17 STATE CHAIRMEN FOR ANTI-PARTY AFFAIRS
Abuja: Following last week’s alleged suspension of the party’s presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu by the party’s National Executive Committee, twenty-seven state chairmen of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, had on last week Wednesday asked the National Chairman, Ralph Okey Nwosu to vacate office.
The aggrieved party stalwarts hinged their demand on the fact that his tenure in office had expired, after being in office for 17 years.
In what can be described as a mild drama on Wednesday evening at the ADC national secretariat in Abuja, party men demanded the immediate exit of the chairman from office, claiming his tenure had expired according to the party’s constitution.The Chairman of the Kogi State chapter of the party, Kingsley Temitope Ogga, while addressing newsmen shortly after the party’s National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Abuja, said Nwosu has been the party’s Chairman for 17 years and has overstayed his tenure.
However, while reacting to the development, the embattled National Chairman of ADC, Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu, said the party cannot afford to host another convention, saying that the focus of the party is the 2023 general elections.“We’ve held the NEC, the NEC meeting has resolved that because of the election coming, we cannot afford to hold another convention at this time for the interest of the party. We now decided to focus on our campaign, we don’t want any fragmentation. And that the convention will come a year after now. The NEC all seated were in support.
Matters nevertheless took a new dimension when the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) led by Chief Ralph Nwosu announced the suspension of 17 State chairmen of the party over what it described as anti-party activities.
In a statement jointly signed by its National Chairman, Nwosu and the National Secretary, Alhaji Said Abdullahi, on Wednesday, the party suspended the former National Vice Chairman, North East, Alhaji Ibrahim Manzo from the party.
The party also announced that the former presidential candidate of the party, Dr. Mani Ahmed has been appointed as the new Board of Trustees (BoT) chairman.
The party stated categorically that all the members of ‘illegal caretaker committee’ have been suspended by the party.
The statement reads: “At the emergency NWC and Critical Stakeholders’ Meeting, held at the Global Campus and Transformation Center of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, on Tuesday, 6th September, 2022, the following resolutions were proposed and adopted:
“That Dr. Mani Ibrahim Ahmed, the 2015 Presidential Candidate and 2023 Presidential Aspirant of ADC, has been appointed the new Board of Trustees (BOT) Chairman of the party.
“That Alhaji Ibrahim Manzo, former National Vice Chairman, North East is hereby suspended from the party.
“That due to the anti-party activities, act(s)/conducts and utterances aimed to bring the Party into disrepute, attempts to destabilize our great party and undue negative publicity, and various other activities in contravention of Article 15 of our party constitution, the following state chairmen are hereby suspended from the party.”
The suspended State chairmen are: Mr. Kingsley Temitope Oggah (Kogi State); Mr. Kennedy Odion (Edo State); Alhaji Auwal Abba Barde (Gombe State); Mr. Leader Sampson (Rivers State); Mr. Johnny Tovie Derek (Bayelsa State); Mr. Elias Adikwu (Benue State); Alhaji Bello Isiyaku, (Sokoto State); Mallam Muhammed Khala Jidda, (Borno State).
Others are: Mr. Ilesanmi Omolayo Joel (Ekiti State); Mr. Kabiru Hussaini (Jigawa State)
Mr. Patrick Ambut (Kaduna State); Barr. Emmanuel Dibia (Delta State); Clement Ehigiator (FCT); Alhaji Musa Hassan (Niger State);
Alaka Godwin William (Nassarawa State); Hon. Samuel Gyang (Plateau State); and Mr. Bala Suffiayanu (Kebbi State).
The party stressed that the replacements of the suspended chairmen would be announced in due course.
The party also announced the expulsion of the former Abia State Chairman, Mr. Don Norman from the party.
The party urged all Wards, LGAs and States Executives to continue structuring the party at the grassroots for campaign take-off.
It also encouraged all candidates not to be distracted by the rather unfortunate activities of the agents trying to distract the party, but focus on the planning, contact and mobilization and structuring of their electioneering campaign.
The party also invited all National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives) Candidates to the Party’s Headquarter for the collection of their certificates of return on Monday, 12th September, 2022.
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