The leadership of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) is currently swimming in trouble water with different groups claiming leadership of the opposition party.
But its presidential candidate at the last general elections, who is also double as the national chairman, Engr. Yusuf Yabagi Sani, said he remained the “authentic ADP national chairman.”
In a statement on Sunday, the National Secretary of the party Dr. James Okoroma and six other members of the ADP National Working Committee (NWC) said Engr. Yabagi, who was accused of breaching the party constitution had been suspended and replaced with the former Agriculture Minister for state and Deputy National Chairman South, Alhaji Najeem Awodele.
According to the statement, “The NWC has also directed Engr. Yabagi Yusuf Sani to hand over all Party properties in his possession to the National Secretary. These include vehicles, chequebooks, documents among others.
“Finally, the NWC acknowledges and adopts the resolutions of the South-West ADP in its recent meeting in Abeokuta, Ogun State. All appointments, removals and re-deployments made by the *former National Chairman* are hereby reversed.
“The Police, Banks, DSS and the Public are hereby advised to discontinue further dealings with Engr. Yabagi Sani on behalf of the ADP.”
But when contacted, Engr. Yabagi denied all the allegations.
“My attention has been drawn to the statement credited to the suspended National Secretary of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Dr. James Okoroma and his cohorts, which claimed that I, Yusuf Yabagi Sani, have been suspended as National Chairman of the party by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
“Let me make it clear that the purported suspension is self defeating, dead on arrival and completely invalid for the following reasons amongst others: (I) The so called NWC members are either former or suspended ADP National officers who are no longer members of the ADP NWC. For instance Dr. James Okoroma knows he is no longer ADP National Secretary by the resolution of the National Executive Committe (NEC) of ADP which has since several months ago been duly communicated to INEC.
“Barr Obadiah Bichi who is purported to be the National Legal Adviser has since withdrawn his membership of ADP. (Ii) By the ADP Constitution the NWC can not suspend the National Chairman (iii) in any event non of the signatories to the purported resolution suspending the National Chairman is a member of ADP NWC. I therefore state categorically that I remain the National Chairman of the ADP.
“Finally I will not want to comment about the false and damaging allegations made against my person including misappropriation, forgery and high handedness in the running of the party; as those matters have already been submitted to a Court of competent jurisdiction.”
