Suspended Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Abia State chapter, Don Norman Obinna, has warned that anybody or group planning to hijack the party from the members in the state won’t succeed.
Obinna, who stated this in a recent media interview while reacting to his alleged suspension from the party, revealed that the party has registered about 300,000 members in the state and has gone beyond the control of one man, no matter his status.
A faction of the ADC had on Friday suspended Obinna over alleged misconduct. Present at the meeting were Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Chief Etigwe Uwa, SAN and two national officers of the ADC, Nkem Ukandu and Kalu Kalu.
The suspensed party chairman who described the alleged suspension as a sham, said that only the national working committee of the ADC have the right to suspend him if he committed any offence against the party.
He said he has the support of the party’s State Working Committee and the 17 Local Government Chairmen, alleging that some desperate politicians in the state who are threatened by the future of the ADC are working hard to destroy the party and to continue to cling to power.
He accused Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe of sponsoring his associates, friends and family members who pretended to be ADC members to illegally suspend him because he had refused to allow him to hijack the party.
Obinna condemned the presence of the two ADC national officers, Nkem Ukandu and Kalu Kalu, for allowing themselves to be used to cause discord within the party in the state.
He said, “The people that were gathered at the event centre belonging to Abaribe are members of his family, his brothers and associates and some errant national officers of the ADC.
“I learnt that they were there with them to conduct what they tagged harmonisation. I don’t know what they did, but as the ADC chairman in Abia State, I’m the only one, who can call for a meeting or direct the secretary to call a meeting of the ADC.
“So, any meeting I’m not aware of is null and void in the first place. It is a sham by Abaribe and his family and friends.He knows he can’t win the next election because of his dismal performance as senator for Abia South zone for more than 16 years now.
“Well, these are group of mediocres, clowns and jokers, and comedians of the century who don’t understand anything about political party administration or even politics.
“Abaribe is not a member of ADC. I wonder how somebody who is not a member of a political party would be allowed to illegally preside over it and suspend the duly elected state chairman of the party? As at today, Abaribe is still a member of APGA. He is fronting for certain people, he’s not happy that I have refused to hand over ADC to him.ADC belongs to the people, I won’t allow Abaribe to hijack it for his selfish end.
“As an elected state Chairman of ADC, the only body that has the power to suspend him after investigation is the NWC and NEC of the party.
“So, for a group of people to gather at a senator’s event centre to have drinks and concluded they suspended me is highly ridiculous.
“The most laughable thing is that this Senator in question is not even a member of the ADC.
“So, for him to gather his friends to announce the suspension of the ADC Chairman is an affront to the ADC, and the coalition.
“It’s unfortunate that individuals who ought to know like Abaribe should have known that his actions are affront to ADC.
“They did the same thing last month, invited people from the street to sign a petition against the ADC chairman.
“All the members of ADC SEC are here, all LGA Chairmen are with me. So, who else is ADC in Abia?
“All these goes to show serious desperation from failed politicians who believe that the ADC is a threat to them.
“Of course, we are a threat to them and as far as we are concerned, the meeting they held today to announce my suspension is not a meeting of the ADC. So, they can’t suspend me. They have no right.
“Even a village meeting has more weight that this one conducted by Abaribe and his people. If there’s any petition against me, it’ll go through the zonal chairman, looked into by the national working committee.”
