The African Democratic Congress has suspended its Presidential Candidate for the 2023 general elections, Dumebi Kachikwu.
ADC’s Deputy National Chairman (Politics), Bamidele Ajadi, announced the suspension in a statement after an emergency meeting of its National Working Committee (NWC) which was held on Friday.
The NWC accused Kachikwu of anti-party activities, defamation, and other acts of gross misconduct.
At the meeting, Ajadi said, the NWC had great concern about what it said was a baseless and defamatory video made, published, and circulated by 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.
He said, “Dumebi’s speech in the video, contravened the principles and values upon which ADC is founded and the specific provision of Article 16 of the ADC Constitution”.
Beyond the video, the NWC accused Kachikwu of several other actions aimed at maligning the NWC members and of failing to provide any roadmap of his plans for the general elections.
These actions or inactions, according to the NWC, have put the chances of the party in the elections in jeopardy.
“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,” it said.
“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.”
The latest news from the party comes amid calls by some of its stakeholders for its National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, to resign after 17 years in the position. Kachikwu is believed to have backed the calls.
Read the full statement below:
The African Democratic Congress has suspended Dumebi Kachikwu, its Presidential Candidate over the false, misguided and defamatory video he made and circulated, amongst other infractions. The party made this known in a statement released to the press, at the end of its emergency National Working Committee (NWC) meeting on Friday, 2nd September 2022. 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.
According to the Deputy National Chairman (Politics) Dr. Bamidele Ajadi, Dumebi’s speech in the video contravened the principles and values upon which ADC is founded and the specific provision of Article 16 of the ADC Constitution to wit: “Act(s) conduct or utterances likely to bring the Party into hatred, contempt or ridicule; engaging in dishonest practices, defrauding the Party, its members or officials; engaging in anti-party activities; unauthorized publicity of Party dispute or fractionalization or creating parallel Party organ(s) at any level; engaging in any other activities likely to cause disaffection among Party members or likely to disrupt the peaceful, lawful and efficient conduct of party business; belonging to any such factional group or organ; collusion or conspiracy to convene unauthorized meetings, shall constitute acts of gross misconduct.”
He also noted that there have been several actions, publications and utterances in the past aimed at maligning the ADC National Officers, which the NWC chose to ignore, for peace to reign. 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. Dumebi for reasons only known to him has stampeded our party into inactivity since he emerged as candidate.
“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 National Executive Council for further actions.
The NWC strongly believes that to demean the character of the founders and financiers of ADC, who have worked tirelessly to build an enviable brand that Nigerians are proud of, and which many great minds have stood elections; smacks of crass irresponsibility, gross indiscipline, disingenuous scandalization and blackmail, and completely unfit of someone who wants to be President of Nigeria.
