Director general of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Suleiman AbdulAzeez has disclosed that the party would be going into the 2023 general elections without a presidential candidate.
Speaking with journalists in Kaduna on the crisis in the party, he said the hitherto presidential candidate of the party, Mr. Dumebi Kachukwu, had been expelled from the party and INEC had been duly notified in writing.
When asked about the crisis in the party, he said, “We don’t see what is happening in our party as a crisis, we see it as normal disciplinary measure being taken on our members, and that is a plus for our party, because we are trying to bring in a new thinking, fresh idea into Nigeria’s democracy where we don’t have people who will go scot-free when they breach any of the regulations.
“So, we are a party that binds itself by regulations, ti the point where we can discipline a person as high as the presidential candidate of our party. We all know that the party has supremacy over any individual. Though, it has is not being practiced by most of the other parties that call themselves major. But we are bringing in that practice, which is why we took disciplinary measure against Mr Dumebi Kachukwu, our former presidential candidate.
“We are certainly going into the 2023 elections as it stands without a presidential candidate, because the party is the organ that can legitimately sponsor candidate to an election and we had initially sponsored Kachukwu, but we withdrew our sponsorship formerly with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and if you look at the INEC portal, you will find out that the party is legitimately under the leadership of Cheif Ralph Nwosu.
“So, there are no two ways about it, Dumebi Kachukwu was suspended first by an act of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Party, which is the legitimate body to have exercise that powers, and we are also going to hold a convention for it to be so ratified.”
