The newly appointed chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dr Mani Ibrahim Ahmed, has explained why the national leadership of the party suspended its presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, and 17 state chairmen.
The party’s national chairman had through a statement earlier announced Dr. Ahmed as the new ADC BoT chairman, following the suspension of Alhaji Ibrahim Manzo, a former national cice chairman (North-east) of the party.
The said statement accused Manzo and some other party stalwarts of attempting to destabilise the party through undue negative publicity, and various other activities in contravention of Article 15 of the party’s constitution.
Meanwhile, speaking with journalists shortly after his unveiling Tuesday at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, the new BoT chairman said the punitive measure slammed on some of the party chieftains, including the 17 state chairmen by the Chief Ralph Nwosu-led National Working Committee (NWC) still subsists.
Dr. Ahmed, who was ADC’s presidential candidate in 2015, enjoined Kachikwu to explore avenues of mobilising votes to actualise his presidential ambition, saying that their suspension from the party could still be reversed by the appropriate organs of the party.
Ahmed, who frowned at attempt by Kachikwu and the 17 state chairmen of the party to create disaffection in the party, said their antics would not stop the party from jettisoning the pursuit of over 2,000 contestants of the party vying for various elective seats across the country in the 2023 poll.
Ahmed, however, threw his weight behind the continuous stay in office of Chief Nwosu as the party’s national chairman, saying it was in line with the party’s constitution.
While faulting the notions held in certain quarters that the party is factionalised, Ahmed said there was nothing wrong with Nwosu occupying the seat of the party chairman for the past 17 years since it was endorsed by successive conventions of the party.
“We dont have a faction here. The electoral management body recognises Chief Nwosu-led leadership of the party. The legitimacy and authority is here in the national headquarters of the ADC,” he said.
He continued: “We dont do things by fire brigade. The 17 chairmen who are less than half of our chairmen remain suspended. Because a large number of people meet to do something wrong does not make it right. What they did was in clear contravention of the party constitution.
“There is nothing that is happening that is against the constitution of the party. Convention through convention in every election he had been returned to be the chairman of the party. Mind you we had a humble beginning. I am sure about 10 years ago not many people were talking about ADC.
“It is now that the party has grown, when people are begining to show interests that some people want to come in and want to destabilize the party. The chairman has no problem with anybody.
“We expect candidates to concentrate on campaigns, build their campaign strictures and move into the campaigns to win votes.
“As chairman of the BOT we would try as much as possible to galvanize the party and part of this little tears and wears that is coming out would be fixed. We have a high hopes of winning seats at various levels.
“Elections are not just about the presidency. There ara alot of persons contesting for the house.of Representatives, Senate, and House of Assemblies across the states. We have almost 2000 of them. We cannot because of the ambition of one person jettison the remaining.we are a responsible party.”
