In an unprecedented move and five months to the presidential election, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has suspended its presidential candidate for the 2023 elections, Dumebi Kachikwu.
His suspension coming a day after he backed calls for the resignation of the party’s national chairman, Chief Ralph Nwosu, did not come to political watchers as a surprise.
State chairmen had called for Nwosu’s departure, after serving in the position for 17 years.
Founder of Roots Television, Nigeria, Kachikwu, was suspended for making, publishing and circulating a video described as defamatory, and which the party said was intended to disparage and impugn the integrity and image of a peaceful
The party accused Kachikwu of several actions, publications and utterances in the past aimed at maligning the ADC national officers, which the NWC chose to ignore, for peace to reign.
The Deputy National Chairman (Politics) of the party, Dr. Bamidele Ajadi, said Kachikwu was suspended after an emergency National Working Committee (NWC) meeting of the ADC held on Friday, 2nd September 2022.
The party frowned at Kachikwu’s speech in the said video, claiming it contravened the principles and values upon which ADC was founded and the specific provision of Article 16 of the ADC Constitution.
The party added: “The NWC also noted that since the 9th of June 2022 when he was elected the presidential candidate, he has failed, neglected and/or refused to share with the party, any meaningful, constructive or reasonable Presidential Campaign Roadmap for the forthcoming presidential election.
“His negative actions and/or inactions so far, have put in jeopardy the fate and prospects of all our candidates contesting for various offices across the country. The committee of the whole house, in a very clear and unequivocal term, condemned the said video in its entirety and described it as a piece of badly crafted blackmail and mudslinging, and thereby unanimously recommended his immediate suspension from the party from today, Friday 2nd September 2022.
“This resolution would be forwarded to the National Executive Council for further actions.”
