Says his mandate not negotiable
The Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr Dumebi Kachikwu, has described his purported suspension by the party as a huge joke.
Kachikwu spoke in reaction to a statement claimed to gave been issued by the party’s Deputy National Chairman (Politics) Dr Bamidele Ajadi, announcing that the party’s Presidential flag bearer has been suspended for alleged anti-party activities.
The statement further read that the decision to suspend Kachikwu was taken after an emergency National Working Committee (NWC) meeting which was held on Friday, September 2.
But Kachiku who addressed the media on Saturday in Abuja maintained that the tenure of the members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) expired on Sunday, August 28 and consequently, any action taken by the members amounts to a nullity.
He described the ex-while chairman of the NWC, Ralph Nwosu as the longest-serving party chairman in Nigeria, having served as chairman of ADC for 17 years.
He informed that prior to the expiration of their tenure, Nwosu pleaded for an extension which he declined on the ground that the party’s constitution must be respected.
“I told him that I will stand by our Constitution which has no provision for an individual to serve for such length of time as chairman.
“The National Executive Committee (NEC) of our party agreed to appoint an interim caretaker committee and to conduct fresh elections within two months.”
The ADC Presidential candidate stated that he got information that his party was negotiating with another party to support their candidate.
“I have come to understand that trading ADC Presidential candidates for cash has been their stock in trade. I can assure you that my mandate is non-negotiable.”
Kachikwu who was joined at the briefing by the Chairman of the Kogi State Chapter of the party, Hon. Kingsley Temitope Ogga, who is also the Chairman of chairmen of the party and his Edo State counterpart, Kennedy Onion as well as a member of the former NWC, Manzo Ibrahim, Vice Chairman, Northeast, stated that his offence was his resolve to protect his mandate.
“If we must change the democratic process, it has to start from the party. We cannot allow one man to keep trading with our party”, Kachikwu vowed.
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