HomePolitics‎ERROR: Mark, Aregbesola Takeover Illegal, In Conflict With ADC Constitution

‎ERROR: Mark, Aregbesola Takeover Illegal, In Conflict With ADC Constitution

‎***Nwosu, Matara disagree on amendment of party rules

‎Coalition members who last week took over the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) did not follow the process of leadership change as stipulated in its Constitution.

‎On Thursday, National Chairman Ralph Nwosu resigned to pave the way for former Senate President David Mark, who was announced as the new Chairman.

‎Former Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola was made the National Secretary, and former Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi was declared as National Publicity Secretary – all of them on an interim basis.

‎The elaborate ceremony was attended by former Vice President and Coalition Coordinator Atiku Abubakar, many ex-governors and ex-ministers who are coalition members.

‎Article 23, Clause 4 of the ADC Constitution states: “If a vacancy arises in any party office, the appropriate Executive Committee shall appoint a replacement from the same zone or constituency as the outgoing office holder.

‎“This appointment is to remain in effect until a new election is conducted at the next congress or convention.”

‎Mark is from Northcentral while Nwosu is from the Southeast.

‎Aregbesola is from the South while Sa’id Baba Abdullahi National Secretary is from the North.

‎There was no known national executive committee meeting where the interim national officers were elected.

‎Indeed, Nwosu announced his resignation at the event, same as Mark who said he just resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

‎Another provision of the party’s constitution is that for anybody to hold an executive office, he must have stayed for two years in the party.

‎Nwosu himself confirmed this.

‎He said during the October 12, 2022 convention, the ADC adopted a key clause requiring new members to spend, at least, two years in the party before they could contest elections or hold office.

‎Other provisions in the party’s constitution regarding election into offices include: Article 23.

‎It provides: “To be eligible to hold any party position, a member must be in the party for at least two years for National and Zonal offices, and at least one year for State, Local Government and Ward positions.

‎“Such eligible member must not be in arrears of membership dues.”

‎Article 17 is explicit about how national and state officers must emerge and how long they should serve.

‎Subsection 1(a) states: “All National and state officers of the party shall hold office for a period of four years at the first instance and thereafter be eligible for re-election for a second term of four years.”

‎Subsection 1(c) adds: “All elections into the national and state offices shall be done at the appropriate convention and congresses of the party.”

‎Article 23: Tenure of office

‎Under Clause 3, any officer elected into the Executive Committee at any level is required to resign from office by submitting a 30-day written notice to the appropriate executive body. However, where the resignation is for the purpose of seeking elective office, it must align with the timeframe provided in the relevant election guidelines.

‎Despite the razzmatazz of the announcement of the interim officers on Thursday, it was learnt that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is not aware of a leadership change in the ADC.

‎Sources in the party said Nwosu and the secretary Abdullahi sent two correspondences to INEC on Friday to inform it of a planned National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting slated for July 29 and an August 16 primary election to pick candidates for the by-election which the electoral agency is organising next month.

‎But Nwosu defended the decision to bring coalition members as national officers, saying there are amendments to the party’s constitution.

‎This was faulted by the displaced National Publicity Secretary Musa Matara.

‎Matara said: “The amendment of a constitution is not something a small group of people can just do to suit their interests.

‎“It requires a public hearing. Even though it may not be a written party rule, it still demands public input and the involvement of stakeholders.”

‎He argued that due process must be followed in such matters, with wide consultation and proper documentation.

‎Matara added: “If you’re drafting or amending the constitution of any organisation, all stakeholders must be critically involved from the planning stage to the implementation and final adoption. You don’t just add to a developed constitution.”

‎The ex-ADC spokesman questioned the timing and rationale for the amendment, saying: “If someone says the constitution was amended, the next question is, when exactly was it amended?

‎“Was it close to the time the coalition started? Or was it before, when there was no discussion about the coalition? And what was the purpose of the amendment?”

‎Matara insisted that any amendment must align with national laws, especially the Electoral Act of 2022, adding the electoral commission should also be involved in the process.

‎He stressed: “Before any political party’s constitution can be amended, INEC must be involved and must supervise the process.

‎“If they claim it was amended, they must tell us the exact date and month it happened. They mentioned the 15th of May, but that was exactly when talk of the coalition began.”

‎But Nwosu fired back: “All the processes were handled by experts. We have never been a party of loose politics. We are not even in government, yet we hold ourselves to the highest standards.”

‎Faulting critics who claim that the constitution amendment was rushed or self-serving, he queried: “Why are people so scared of change? Why should the restructuring of a political party cause such panic?”

‎Reflecting on the transfer of the party management to interim officers, Nwosu said:  “If a leader steps aside for the greater good, that is not a weakness but a show of maturity.

‎“We welcome new people, and we agree on conditions. Our party is built on patronage, inclusion, and sovereign leadership.”

‎No room for forum shopping, says Shittu

‎Legal scholar Dr. Wahab Shittu (SAN) said it was wrong for those repudiating the PDP and performing the membership role of the ADC to refuse to resign from their former party.

‎He chided them for forum shopping, saying that they were positioning two legs in two parties, contrary to the law.

‎Shittu, who teaches at the University of Lagos, said it was wrong for an individual to claim membership of two political parties at a time, warning that it is punishable.

‎He said it is an act of impunity for politicians to parade themselves as chieftains of another party, insisting that dual loyalties are not permissible.

‎Shittu stressed: “If there is any member of the PDP that fails or refuses to resign before parading himself as an ADC chieftain, that is forum shopping.

‎“It is an offence; a violation of the Electoral Act and the constitution. Nobody, under whatever guise, can belong to two parties in Nigeria.”

‎Wike: opposition wants to rescue stomach, not Nigeria

‎Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, dismissed the coalition, saying the agenda is driven by selfish ambition rather than a genuine desire to rescue Nigeria.

‎Speaking at a thanksgiving service held at Saint James Anglican Church, Asokoro, Abuja to celebrate the successful completion of projects inaugurated in the FCT by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Wike challenged the opposition to prove him wrong.

‎He said: “They want to rescue their stomach, not Nigeria.”

‎Wike said anger is directed, not at the current administration, but at the opposition for their past failures to deliver democratic dividends.

‎The minister, who challenged the opposition to present their scorecards, objected to what he described as inconsistent political allegiances.

‎He said: “How can Nigerians not be angry with you? In 1999, you were in another party. In 2006, you moved to another party. In 2014, you moved to another party. In 2019, you moved back to another party.

‎“Now, in 2025, you are moving to another party to rescue who? You want to rescue your stomach. It’s not Nigeria you want to rescue. So let us tell ourselves the simple truth.”

‎Wike highlighted what he described as the ‘opposition’s hypocrisy’, noting their silence on national issues when they held power.

‎He said: “People had the opportunity to be in government for several years; people had the opportunity to bring infrastructure to their states; they didn’t do it. At that time, Nigerians were not angry. It is now that they are not in office that Nigerians are angry.

‎“Some of you have sympathy for somebody you don’t know. You say Peter Obi will be President. President where? For eight years, he was governor; he never conducted local government elections. That is what you describe as democracy. Only you were the governor and chairman of the local governments.

‎“Ask yourself a question. Just ask yourself. I was a Senate President for eight years, for example, and I cannot provide a road to my local government, Otukpo, and I will fly a helicopter to Otukpo — eight years! It is now you say you want to rescue Nigeria. Which Nigeria do you want to rescue?

‎“Somebody was Speaker for eight years, governor, eight years, minister, eight years, he didn’t know that Nigerians were angry. It’s just these two years since he left office, you’re telling Nigerians that Nigerians are angry.

‎“Why won’t they be angry? Why won’t they be angry when, in eight years as Minister of Transportation, you borrowed so much money from China, making us highly indebted? You have borrowed the future of Nigerians. You said Nigerians are angry; they are angry with you.

‎“Here, you were the Attorney General of the Federation for eight years. Every time we are paying for judgment debt. Nigeria is every time in the news about corruption, corruption, corruption, corruption.

‎“And these are the same people who want to rescue Nigeria. You were the Minister for Interior, yet to get an international passport, you will spend weeks, months, and years before you get your international passport. But look at a young boy, see what he has done? Within hours, you get your international passport.”

‎Wike urged Christians to be patient with President Tinubu and pray for the administration, rather than bother about “people who have lost their chances to fix the country”.

‎He said: “All I appeal to the church is just be patient and continue to pray for Mr. President, for the administration.

‎“Forget about people who have lost their chances to put Nigeria right. They won’t have the chance again.

‎“They cannot stay out of power. Unfortunately, they have stayed out; they won’t come back.”


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