ABUJA — The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has said the reported suspension of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, by a faction of the party in Adamawa State is a nullity.
The party insists the group behind the move lacks the authority to take such action, and that the announcement carries no weight within its ranks.
This came as chieftain of the party, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, described the move by the party faction in Adamawa State as “a callous act by hunger-driven sycophants and enemies of democracy.”
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, in an interview with Vanguard, when asked whether any disciplinary steps would be taken against those involved, said: “No, no, no. There’s nothing to it. It doesn’t make sense. Those saying it (they suspended Atiku and Babachir Lawal), don’t have the power to do that. No, they don’t have the power to do that. They are just jesters.”
The response followed a press conference in Adamawa, where factional state chairman, Raji Zumo, announced the suspension of Atiku, Lawal and the party’s transition committee chairman, Sadiq Ibrahim. Zumo accused the trio of fostering disunity, creating parallel structures, undermining lawful authority and disregarding a subsisting court order.
The development comes as the ADC grapples with internal disputes over its national leadership. Separate factions led by Nafiu Bala Gombe and Kingsley Ogga, both expelled during the party’s national convention, are now laying claim to the position of national chairman, further deepening the internal crisis.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had earlier withdrawn recognition of the party’s leadership structures amid the dispute.
Despite the tensions, the leadership aligned with former Senate President David Mark insists the party remains intact following the convention.
Its callous and anti-democratic -Eze
Meanwhile, Eze in a statement, yesterday, also dismissed the suspension as illegitimate, saying that it was orchestrated by a “non-existing faction” of the ADC in Adamawa State.
“The purported suspension of Atiku and Babachir is a callous act by a few ADC hunger-driven sycophants and enemies of democracy in Adamawa State.
“No living individual or group can make Atiku irrelevant in the politics and culture of Adamawa State. “It is hunger, deprivation and foolishness, ironically inflicted on these same individuals that prompted this embarrassing move. Who is this Raji Zumo? It is only under Tinubu and the APC that such individuals will attempt to suspend respected leaders of a political party.
“Attempting to destabilise opposition politicians using state institutions is a sign of a drowning goon afraid of competitive elections.
“All these acts toward undermining key opposition figures are degrading of a man who prides himself as a democrat.
“No amount of witch-hunting or undemocratic acts will secure re-election for Tinubu in 2027. The President Tinubu knows the game is over due to his abysmal performance, he has turned himself into a curse to Nigeria,” Eze said.
