The crisis rocking the African Democratic Party (ADC), Abia state chapter, is yet to be over, as Mr Don Norman Obinna has dismissed the constitution of an interim state executive with a wave of hand, saying that he is still the state chairman of Abia ADC.
The embattled state chairman added that there was nothing like an interim executive of the party in the state as was illegally constituted, stressing that he was still the state chairman of the party recognised by INEC and other critical stakeholders.
The journalist turned politician stated this in an interview while reacting to the constitution of a new interim Exco by the national chairman of the party, Chief Ralphs Okey Nwosu, against his own sitting elected executive.
According to the state Chairman,there is nothing like dissolution of the newly constituted Exco barely three months ago,what happened on last Tuesday Kolpings Society, World Bank Housing Estate, Umuahia was like a jamboree where they hired crowd that are not members of Abia ADC to deceive the people.
Obinna further stated that what happened on Tuesday was like a jamboree because there was nothing like an interim Exco when he have not been officially communicated that they have been dissolved or queried for any wrong doing.
“I woke up on last Tuesday morning only heard about dissolution of our Exco when the National Working Committee of party has not communicated to us either in writing or through query as to what we did rightly or wrongly” ADC Chairman said.
He pointed out that Abia ADC has a constituted Exco, therefore the National Chairman cannot dissolve a party people in Abia saw as a threat few months ago, arguing that he is only answerable to the National Working Committee ( NWC) of ADC , National Chairman has no right to dissolve him and his Exco because they are a product of party’s Constitution.
Abia ADC Chairman maintained that the National Working Committee of their party is not aware of their dissolution taken by the National Chairman, adding that such illegality will not stand.
He however promised to challenge their purported removal in the court of competent jurisdiction stressing assuming the state Chairman commits offence why do you decide to punish other 16 state working committee members.
“If there is any problem,I’m yet to be told what they alleged my offence is,there is no petition written against us,no query,this is the height of illegality” Don Norman Obinna said.
The embattled state chairman said that what might have led to the ugly scenario was that before the commencement of sale of forms, they held a National Executive meeting in Abuja where they agreed that every state should receive 30% of forms sold and we sold N32 million forms for Abia state and our 30% is N9.6 million. We wrote to our national chairman and asked for the money after we had severally asked for it.
“Even when he (national chairman) came to Abia state, most of the LGA Chairmen stood up and asked for the money, I calmed them down, we officially wrote to demand for our 30% which is N9.6million and we also asked the governorship candidate if he was actually running for the race because other parties were ahead of us, because we want to win the 2023 race.
“Surprisingly, I woke up only to hear of our dissolution. ADC is a party with Constitution, this dissolution cannot stand the veritable test of the legal scrutiny”, Obinna said.
