Dumebi Kachikwu, embattled African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, says he remains the party’s candidate for the 2023 election, in spite of his purported suspension by the National Working Committee (NWC).
Kachikwu said this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ADC NWC, headed by Chief Ralph Nwosu had last Friday suspended him from the party for alleged anti-party activities.
But Kachikwu blamed the problem on the chairman of the party, Chief Ralph Nwosu.
“For those who do not know, Nwosu is the longest serving chairman of a political party in the history of Nigeria.
“He has been serving for the past 17 years, you must understand that this is contrary to the provision of the constitution of the ADC which says that a chairman of the ADC can hold a position maximum for a consecutive period of two terms of four years each.
“For some reasons best known to INEC we do not know how Nwosu was able to hold on to that position for the past 17 years,” he said.
Kachikwu said that the tenure of Nwosu and all members of the NWC elapsed on Aug. 28.
“Nwosu sought for tenure elongation, he reached me, directly and indirectly, pleading for us to extend his tenure,” he said.
Kachikwu said that the forum of state chairmen of the party, however, kicked against the planned tenure elongation saying it was illegal.
“Since his tenure has lapsed it is only the National Executive Council (NEC), made up of state chairmen of the party, which has the power to run the affairs of the party and take decisions.
“That was why the elements behind my purported suspension sent out an unsigned document to the media since none of them has any mandate to take any legal action on behalf of the ADC having ended their tenure since Aug.28,” he said.
Kachikwu said that his purported suspension was due to his stance that the party constitution must be upheld.
” I told them that as the presidential candidate of the party I will do everything to uphold the constitution of the ADC,” he said.
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