22nd February, 2023
By Naomi Sharang
The presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress, ADC, Dumebi Kachikwu has again dismissed reports that he has abandoned his ambition to support Peter Obi of Labour party in the February 25 election.
Kachikwu, in an interview with NAN said he will remain in the race despite not having any agent in the election.
He blamed the leadership crisis rocking his party on Ralph Nwosu, the chairman of the ADC who had refused to step down despite his sack by the court.
Kachikwu said that the erstwhile chairman refused to let go after the expiration of his tenure.
“Justice Binta Nyanko of the Federal High Court had in December 2022 ruled that the tenure of the erstwhile chairman had lapsed.
“He had been there close to 17 years and it is that kind of party where every four years they bring people like me to the party. And a few days to the election they will announce an alignment.
“When it became clear to the people that I wanted to run an election, they started fighting me. Unfortunately while the man was fighting me, he forgot his tenure had lapsed.
“I told him that his tenure had lapsed. I said to him I’m not running because I’m an Igbo man. I don’t believe in all of these things. I believe the only way Nigeria can work is if we look at Nigeria as a nation for everybody,” he said.
Kachikwu added: “I stood by the party’s constitution. The chairman went to court, the court ruled, they didn’t t even have any defence in court because the constitution is very clear.
“As of today, I have not one agent in an election that is holding in a few days.
“I’m still in the race, I will stay in the race till the very end because there are people who will come after me who must understand that doing the right thing is costly to you but it is the best thing to do.”
(www.nannews.ng)