ADC crisis: I fully support David Mark’s leadership — Kogi chairman

From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja

The Kogi State Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Chairman of all ADC state chairmen in Nigeria, Kingsley Temitope Ogga, has said he will continue to mediate between the State Working Committee of the party and the National Working Committee (NWC) to ensure the party goes into the general elections as a united force to unseat the ruling party.

Temitope, while fielding questions from journalists in Lokoja over the weekend, commented on the state party chairmen who took the National Working Committee of the party to court over issues concerning the forthcoming congress of the party.

The State Working Committee had accused the National Working Committee of breaching the party’s constitution by setting up various committees to conduct the state primary elections scheduled for April, which they said was a clear usurpation of the functions and responsibilities of the state party chairmen.

The state party chairmen, in a suit at the Federal High Court, urged the court to grant them a perpetual interlocutory injunction restraining the National Working Committee, headed by Senator David Mark, from conducting the party primaries until the final determination of the case.

The suit, filed by Don Norma Obinna and six others on behalf of the 36 state party chairmen and the FCT, joined the party, the NWC chairman, David Mark, INEC, and four others as defendants.

But speaking with newsmen, Temitope Ogga said that at the beginning, he was outrightly against the litigation challenging the leadership of the National Working Committee of the party over the state congress.

He stressed that his position was that the issue could be amicably resolved within the party without resorting to the courts, adding that the legal action could cause more crisis within the party and make the opposition a laughing stock before the ruling party.

Kingsley Temitope Ogga said he has been privately appealing to the aggrieved chairmen to withdraw the suit so that a new mechanism could be put in place to resolve the issue.

According to him, this is not a period when the party should be thrown into another crisis as the general elections are approaching, warning that this could adversely affect the party at the polls.

Ogga, however, pledged his continued loyalty and that of Kogi members of the party to the David Mark leadership, saying he remains a committed team player and astute party member whose ultimate desire is for the ADC to win the next presidential election.

Ogga therefore called on his aggrieved colleagues to sheath their swords and allow peace to prevail, stating that going to court is not the best way to resolve the crisis at this time.

He also appealed to the National Working Committee of the party to continue to demonstrate fairness, equity, and justice in handling sensitive matters that could divide the party.