African Democratic Congress (ADC) has suspended its presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu.
Lifestyle Nigeria reports that the development came hours after Kachikwu, and 27 state chairpersons of the party called on the National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, to resign after 17 years in office.
In a statement on Saturday, the ADC Deputy National Chairman, Bamidele Ajadi said the decision was taken at the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting that was held on Friday.
Ajadi said since Kachikwu emerged standard bearer of the party, he has failed to come up with a strategy for the party’s presidential campaign activities due to commence soon.
He said, “The NWC viewed with great concern the baseless and defamatory video made, published, and circulated by Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu, which was intended to disparage and impugn the integrity and image of a peaceful and transformation-oriented African Democratic Congress and its national officers.
“The NWC also noted that since the 9th of June 2022 when he was elected the presidential candidate, he has failed, neglected, and/or refused to share with the party any meaningful, constructive or reasonable presidential campaign roadmap for the forthcoming presidential election.
“His negative actions and/or inactions so far, have put in jeopardy the fate and prospects of all our candidates contesting for various offices across the country.
“The committee of the whole house, in a very clear and unequivocal term condemned the said video in its entirety and described it as a piece of badly crafted blackmail and mudslinging, and thereby unanimously recommended his immediate suspension from the party from today, Friday 2nd September 2022.
“This resolution would be forwarded to the NEC for further actions.”
Kachikwu and 27 state chairpersons have asked Ralph Nwosu, national chairman of the party, to resign.
On Friday, the ADC Chairman in Kogi, Kingsley Ogga, while addressing newsmen after a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party in Abuja, said he and some of his colleagues want a caretaker committee to be put in place.
State chairpersons are members of the party’s NEC and have the power to constitute a caretaker committee to take charge of the party.
Ogga said, “For good 17 years, he has been the national chairman, and constitutionally, it’s not right.
“We don’t want this party to crumble. They rated us as the third force. But today, the way they are handling this party, they are trying to kill it.
“Go to Kogi state and ask for ADC. We have a sitting house of reps members. We have been doing well in our federal constituency.”
Meanwhile, Kachikwu, in a terse statement, said he is on the side of the state chairpersons.
The Presidential candidate said, “Yes. I am aligned with the position of the state chairmen in insisting that the constitution must be respected.”