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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Former African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, has accused the Senator David Mark-led National Working Committee of the party of allegedly engaging in political gangsterism.
Kachikwu, who spoke at a press briefing, yesterday, berated the Mark-led ADC for holding a national convention, in Abuja, against the order of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The former presidential candidate, while dismissing the Tuesday convention as ‘a show of shame,’ stated that the real ADC is preparing for her convention and is doing so within the ambits of the law.
The ADC has been in the eye of the storm since April 1, when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) derecognised the Mark-led NWC, citing an order by the Court of Appeal directing parties in a dispute over the leadership of the opposition party to maintain status quo ante bellum, pending the determination of the suit.
The electoral body also said it would no longer receive communication from the party until the suit is determined. Former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Nafiu Bala Gombe, who is laying claim to the leadership of the ADC had filed a suit against the Mark NWC.
In the aftermath of the INEC’s decision, a group of state chairmen met last week in Abuja, and appointed the chairman of the Kogi State chapter, Kingsley Ogga, as acting chairman.
Also, Gombe, accompanied by a member of the House of Representatives, Leke Abejide, who has also filed a suit challenging Mark’s leadership, staged a protest at the INEC’s headquarters in Abuja, demanding to be recognised as ADC’s national chairman.
However, the Mark-led NWC, which has challenged its delisting from the INEC, went ahead with its polling units, ward, local government and state congresses, last week and concluded with its national convention on Tuesday.
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Nonetheless, Kachikwu stated that “Yesterday (Tuesday) April 14, a Federal High Court in Abuja issued an order in the matter between the state chairmen of the ADC” and the Mark-led NWC, noting that “The order said, maintain status quo ante bellum.
“This means no congress or convention until the matter before the court is adjudicated. Despite this order, the nation witnessed these desperate politicians hold a convention in the name of the African Democratic Congress, knowing the same to have no locus before the law. Can men who continue to flout court orders mean well for the ADC or Nigeria? The simple answer is no.”
He added: “What we all witnessed yesterday was a blame game where they all tried to outdo one another on who had the harshest words for President Tinubu and the APC government. Nowhere in that whole show of shame did you hear any of them offer one suggestion on what they would do better or differently. Isn’t the job of the opposition counter arguments and proposals? “
Furthermore, he said: “They will never succeed in taking over the ADC or using the ADC as a platform to prosecute their political vendettas. The real ADC is preparing for her convention and is doing so within the ambits of the law.”
Also, Kachikwu stated that President Bola Tinubu has allowed himself to be distracted by the political class in the last three years, stating that the President has failed to unite the country.
“I want to address our president. President Tinubu, for three years, you have allowed yourself to be distracted by the political class who are mostly your friends. You have failed to unite Nigeria after a bitterly contested and disputed election. You chose to take tough decisions only a popular president would ordinarily take even though you are not likely to win a popularity contest.
“You are a wartime president who is making the same mistakes your predecessors made by not galvanising the Nigerian people behind their common enemies. Until you do this, our enemies will continue to take advantage of our differences.
“You have lost the vocal minority; you shouldn’t also, by omission or commission, lose the silent majority. You may have won the war, but you certainly haven’t won the peace. This should be your primary preoccupation,” he stated.
