Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports
Yesterday, the Ralph Nwosu-led National Working Committee (NWC) dismissed 17 state chairmen and some other party members for forming an interim caretaker committee to run the party’s operations, further complicating the crisis roiling the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
He said that the caretaker committee’s formation was unlawful.
Following the resignation of the Nwosu-led exco, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of ADC, of which the state chairmen are members, established an eight-person caretaker committee on Monday. Nwosu’s suspension had been confirmed by the NEC over the weekend.
Senator Patricia Akwashiki, the current chairman of the Board of Trustees, presided over the newly appointed caretaker committee; Hon. Kennedy Odion will serve as secretary.
Ms. Angela Johnson, Prof. Kabiru Dangogo, Manzo Ibrahim, Hon. Lesanmi Omolayo, Hon. Kingsley Temitope Ogga, and Barr. Emma Dibia as legal adviser are additional members of the new interim national leadership of the ADC.
The Nwosu-led NWC party, however, responded by claiming that all members of the “illegal caretaker committee” had been suspended from the party.
Alhaji Ibrahim Manzo, the former national vice chairman for the north-east, was also expelled from the party in a statement co-signed by the party’s national chairman, Nwosu, and national secretary, Mr. Said Abdullahi.
Following Nwosu’s announcement, the following state chairmen were suspended: Mr. Kingsley Temitope Oggah (Kogi State); Mr. Kennedy Odion (Edo State); Alhaji Auwal Abba Barde (Gombe State); Mr. Leader Sampson (Rivers State); Mr. Johnny Tovie Derek (Bayelsa State); Mr. Elias Adikwu (Benue State); Alhaji Bello I (Borno State).
Others included Mr. Kabiru Hussaini and Mr. Ilesanmi Omolayo Joel (both from Ekiti State) (Jigawa State)
Alaka Godwin William (Nassarawa State), Mr. Patrick Ambut (Kaduna State), Barr. Emmanuel Dibia (Delta State), Clement Ehigiator (FCT), Alhaji Musa Hassan (Niger State), Hon. Samuel Gyang (Plateau State), and Mr. Bala Suffiayanu (Kebbi State).
The party emphasized that the replacements for the chairmen who were suspended would be revealed soon.
The troubled Nwosu-led NWC also declared that Dr. Mani Ahmed, the party’s previous presidential candidate, had been named the new chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT).
The following resolutions were offered and adopted at the emergency NWC and Critical Stakeholders’ Meeting on Tuesday, September 6, 2022, at the Global Campus and Transformation Center of the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
“That Dr. Mani Ibrahim Ahmed, the party’s presidential candidate in 2015 and 2023, has been named the next chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT).
That former National Vice Chairman for the North East, Alhaji Ibrahim Manzo, is now expelled from the party.
The following state chairmen are hereby suspended from the party due to anti-party activities, act(s)/conduct and utterances intended to bring the Party into disrepute, attempts to destabilize our great party and undue negative publicity, as well as various other activities in violation of Article 15 of our party constitution.
The Nwosu group also said that Mr. Don Norman, the former chairman of Abia State, had been expelled from the party.
Additionally, the party asked all Wards, LGAs, and States Executives to keep organizing the party at the local level in preparation for the start of the campaign.
Additionally, it urged all candidates to put their attention on the organization, planning, and organization of their electioneering campaign rather than being sidetracked by the rather sad actions of the agents seeking to sidetrack the party.
The party also sent an invitation to all National Assembly (Senate and House of Representatives) candidates to visit the party headquarters on Monday, September 12, 2022, to pick up their certificates of return.
