Ahead of Saturday’s governorship election, the Action Democratic Party (ADP), has warned its suspended acting Chairman in Kaduna State, Umar Isah against parading himself as the chairman of the party or discharging any official function on behalf of the party.
The party also insisted that Sani Shaaban remains its Kaduna governorship candidate, noting that he has not stepped down for any other candidate.
READ ALSO: ADP Suspends Kaduna Chairman Over Alleged Anti-Party Activities
ADP, in a statement by its National Secretary, Victor Fingesi, on Tuesday, said Isah has since been suspended as the state’s acting Chairman over alleged anti-party activities, and as such, his press conference where he handed down a suspension to the party’s governorship candidate is illegal, null and void.
The party’s National Secretary stated categorically that Shaaban is the bona fide ADP governorship candidate in Kaduna State and called on both supporters and members of the ADP in the state to disregard Isah and support Sha’aban during the March 18 governorship elections.
“The attention of the National Secretariat of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) has been drawn to the text of an illegal press conference addressed by the suspended Kaduna State Chairman of ADP, Hon. Umar Isah wherein he lied that the party’s governorship candidate in the state, Hon. Sani Mahmud Shaaban is suspended from the party,” the statement read.
“Hon. Sani Mahmud Shaaban who emerged as the ADP Kaduna State Gubernatorial flagbearer at a duly constituted congress in line with the provision of the 2022 Electoral Act remains the ADP gubernatorial candidate for the March 18 governorship election in Kaduna State.
“The people of Kaduna State and supporters of our great party are, therefore, urged to discountenance and disregard Hon. Umar Isah’s ill-conceived unauthorized press conference in its entirety.
“They should come out on Saturday and vote massively for Hon. Sani Mahmud Shaaban as the next governor of Kaduna state just as they will vote in their state assembly candidates in the different constituencies of Kaduna State.”
Similarly, in a letter addressed to the suspended acting Chairman, ADP said, “We reiterate that you are no longer the chairman of the party in Kaduna State vide the letter dated 8th March, 2023. Hon. Sani Mahmud Shaaban is the bona fide ADP governorship candidate in Kaduna State.
“The National Secretariat of the party was utterly astonished reading the text of your press conference quoted above.
“The party’s national office has always availed you the opportunity to present your queries yet you went berserk and acted as if you are an emperor, arrogating unto yourself the power to even sack the party’s governorship candidate.
“You are advised to, in your own interest comply with the directives of your letter of suspension and desist from further progressing in the course you have chosen. You must hand over all the party possessions with you to the Acting Chairman immediately.”
