Ralphs Nwosu, the national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), asserts that the party remains unperturbed by the anticipated defection of Leke Abejide (ADC-Kogi) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement released on Wednesday in Abuja, the chairman addressed the potential defection of Mr. Abejide to the APC. Mr. Abejide had stated during a news conference at the National Assembly in Abuja on Monday that he would switch to the APC if the crisis within the ADC persisted.
Following his announcement, his counterpart in the ADC in the House of Representatives, Salman Idris, who represents the Kabba-Bunu-Ijumu federal constituency of Kogi, also defected to the APC on July 24 during the plenary session.
Mr. Nwosu, however, emphasized, “Regarding the defection or defections to the APC from our party, we have received numerous calls from party leaders, concerned citizens, patriots, national figures, and civil society organizations. We acknowledge their concerns and applaud their patriotism.
“I want to reassure all of them that, as a disciplined organization with a transformational leadership philosophy, we are taking necessary measures to uphold the integrity of our esteemed party, the ADC.”
He mentioned that a committee, chaired by Bamidele Ajadi, the deputy national chairman (politics), has been established to investigate the defections in order to administer justice fairly.
“In order to enhance the grassroots reach and interactions of the ADC, the National Executive Committee of our distinguished party has decided to actively participate in all local council elections,” he stated.
This decision, he explained, is based on the Supreme Court ruling on the financial independence of the Local Government Areas (LGAs). Furthermore, he disclosed that the party has formed a committee for local council elections to plan, devise strategies, and oversee all LG polls across the states.
The chairman urged all stakeholders at the subnational level, particularly governors, to ensure that all democratic processes are carried out in an unbiased environment.
“The National Working Committee (NWC) wishes to unequivocally state that an individual named Shola Samuel, also known as GADAFI, who has been falsely presenting himself as a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of our party, ADC, is not affiliated with the party,” he clarified.
He highlighted that this individual has been using the false designation to convene meetings in Kogi, emphasizing that he is not a registered member of the ADC, let alone a member of the BoT.
