Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, has said that the constitution of the party must be the guiding principle of the party.
He said insisting on the rule of law and internal party democracy was important and critical to the survival of the party and her chances in the 2023 general elections.
Kachikwu said, as a beneficiary of internal party democracy, he would not as a person undermine the same in the party and its constitution nor protect any person with such intent for whatever reason, stating that transparency and accountability were the right way to go.
According to him, insisting on upholding the constitution of the party was not akin to personal problems with the immediate past national chairman of the party, Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, Kachikwu said no one can sell the party, adding that the law will take its course in defence of the party and its interests.
He said, “When you fight evil, it’s always for the right reason. Evil always thrives when good men keep quiet.
“Evil has thrived for 17 years because good men kept quiet. I want our party to understand that my issues with the immediate past chairman are not personal, my issues are fundamental to our constitution.
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“17 years of abysmal failure and they want to continue in that failure, that will never happen. As long as I am the presidential candidate of this party, no candidate will sell their mandate.
“I’ll fight you, I’ll take you to court, I’ll use everything legal to uphold the party constitution, you cannot desecrate the image and integrity of our party. That’s the old ADC, we have a new ADC.”
It would be recalled that Ralph Nwosu has been the chairman of the ADC for 17 years, an office constitutionally permitted for a maximum of two years of eight years.
Kachikwu continued: “The easiest thing for me to do as the presidential candidate of this party is to keep quiet. But what of the other people who cannot speak up and fight, who speaks for them?
“When I came into this party, I came in here determined to run a race, I came in here because Nigeria is on fire, I wanted to lead a rescue mission.
“I can look the other way and leave Nigeria, but that’s not an option for me. With what’s happening in Nigeria, you would wonder why our party would want to take next year’s election lightly.”
Kachikwu warned candidates vying for various positions in the party against selling their mandates, urging them to run their race with diligence and commitment and not be part of the denounced vote-buying schemes in the polity.
He said, “Money is not everything, if you stop the mandates of the party at a time like this, that is blood money.
“Unfortunately for them, man will always propose, but God will dispose. When they were trying to sell us and our mandates they never remembered the constitution, they never knew their time was up.
“Run your race even if you get one vote, run your race, that experience is rich. You may get zero votes in this election and next, run your race don’t give up, one day Nigerians will hear your message. Don’t let anybody deceive you, this party is not for sale.”
He cautioned candidates of other political parties to be wary of any person offering to trade the candidate of the ADC, as it would boomerang.
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