Secretary of the ADC Chairmen’s Forum, Kenneth Odiom, said Kachikwu was duly elected at the party’s primary election and there were no questions about his emergence.
By Jeffrey Agbo
State chairmen of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have declared their support for the party’s presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, following an announcement that he has been suspended.
Kachikwu was suspended on Friday by the National Working Committee of the ADC over alleged anti-party activities.
The committee accused him of making “defamatory’’ statements that contravened the values of the ADC.
However, the ADC state chairmen told a press conference in Abuja on Saturday that a National Working Committee (NWC) whose tenure had elapsed could not suspend Kachikwu.
They said the tenure of the NWC lapsed in August.
Addressing the news conference, Kingsley Ogga, Chairman of Forum of State Chairmen of ADC noted that the NWC had earlier convened a “fake and kangaroo’’ National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Aug. 26.
He said the fake NEC meeting lacked the constitutional requirement of seven days’ notice to be held.
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“The said meeting was overcrowded with unknown persons and miscreants. State chairmen walked out of the meeting as non-NEC members were seated in large numbers.
“The purpose of the illegal meeting is best known to the National Chairman, the National Secretary and other members of the NWC.
“The said purpose was revealed when the fake meeting purportedly extended the tenure of the NWC.
“It is, therefore, important to state here that what transpired on Aug. 26 at the ADC secretariat was fake, unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect,’’ Ogga said.
He called on INEC to disregard the illegal suspension of Kachikwu and prevail on ADC to convene to elect a new NWC.
He said since the tenure of the NWC had expired, the ADC states chairmen were in charge and would convene an NEC meeting on Monday to elect new NWC members.
Secretary of the ADC Chairmen’s Forum, Kenneth Odiom, said Kachikwu was duly elected at the party’s primary election and there were no questions about his emergence.