The leadership of the African Democratic Congress stated on Thursday that it had no intention of removing the party’s state chairpersons.

ADC’s interim spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, stated this while addressing journalists after the party’s leadership, under the interim national chairman, David Mark, had met with state chairmen on Wednesday in Abuja.

Mr Abdullahi assured the state chairmen of the party’s readiness to work with them to build a stronger party.

“We have invited all the state chairmen to this meeting to reassure them that we don’t have any intention to push them away. Thirty-seven state chairmen, including FCT, were present here. The purpose of the meeting is to dispel all kinds of falsehoods and rumours that have been going around the country that we have come to take over this party from them and to push them away.

“We don’t have any intention to shove them off. We are here to work with them as partners to build a stronger political party. They are assured, and they are going to leave Abuja today more confident than they were yesterday, that they are partners in the building of this coalition,” Mr Abdullahi said.

Reacting to comments by the 2023 presidential candidate of the party, Dumebi Kachikwu, that the process of the coalition and the taking over of the party were flawed, Mr Abdullahi said that no provision of the party had been violated.

According to him, the presidential candidate of a political party is not an officer of the party.

“A presidential candidate is just someone, a member of the party. We are on solid legal ground. If anyone has any evidence to show that we have violated our own constitution, we are open to be challenged. No member of ADC has disagreed with the process so far,” he said.

Mr Abdullahi said if there were ADC members still aggrieved, the party leadership was ready to engage with such members.

“Perhaps they don’t have enough information or they are afraid of losing whatever position they are holding,” he said.

The chair of the ADC State Chairmen Forum, Kingsley Ogga, dispelled the allegation that they were not carried along in the coalition process.

He explained that the chairpersons were all carried along in the discussion and the process of taking over the party’s leadership.

“We were all carried along, and we were part of it (the process). We’re also in support of what is coming up now,” Mr Ogga said.

The senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Ireti Kingibe, stated that everyone in the meeting agreed to work together for ADC.

Asked if she was still in the Labour Party or had joined ADC, Ms Kingibe said she was committed to ADC.

“Please read the constitution. There are two clear factions of LP. The perfect definition that the constitution gives for somebody to decamp without penalty. So you say I should stay in the Labour Party. Which faction of LP do you want me to stay in?” the senator explained.

The Lagos chair of ADC, George Ashiru, also stated that all the state chairpersons agreed that ADC should join the coalition.

“The 37 state chairmen are here. We are not worried about the idea that we are being replaced because we know the constitution. But we just want to make sure that the public understands the way we operate.

“This is a solidarity visit to our new leaders. It is also a communal visit to each other to prepare for the next steps and that’s why we’re here,” he said.

Mr Ashiru said the party was gaining more influence in Lagos, welcoming new members from the ruling All Progressives Congress  and Peoples Democratic Party.

(NAN)