279
By Myke Agunwa, Abuja
The interim National Chairman of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Sen. David Mark, interim National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and other new executives of coalition party on Tuesday took oath of office and pledged to ensure that party democracy is maintained at all levels.
The new leadership made the commitment during the party’s 99 National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting that took place in Abuja.
In his acceptance speech, Mark acknowledge the hard work, patriotism, sacrifices and dedication of Hon. Ralph Nwosu and his National Working Committee (NWC) that over the years, built the party and relinquishing leadership to a new team in the interest of the country.
While commending all party members for their contribution toward the growth of the ADC family, he said, “I assure you that under my leadership, we shall be committed to full democratic practices and principles that abhors imposition and special privileges. Internal democracy, transparency and accountability will be our mantra.
“We will guarantee collective leadership at all levels. We will build a technically competent bureaucracy for the party and ensure a structured financing. All members will truly own the party.
“We will be fair and just to all party members. We promise to be totally transparent. ADC will have zero tolerance for anti-party and other forms of indiscipline.
“We shall revamp our grassroots leadership structures to reflect modern realities. From the polling units, wards up to the national level, every organ will be re-energized.
“Nigerians must know us as a party driven by unblemished ideology, progressive policies, and patriotic governance. We will not leave it to the discretion of individual candidate to choose what to do with power.
“We will open the gates for the next generation. Our policies, nominations, and leadership roles will reflect meaningful inclusion of youths and women and not just tokenism. This is why we have reserved 35% of our leadership positions for women. It is also our commitment to have youths below the age of 40 years in our leadership”.
Mark assured that the new NWC will raise committees to review the manifesto and the constitution of the party to ensure that it reflects the aspirations of Nigerians.
“Therefore, in the coming days, we shall announce a 50-Member Policy Committee to cover health, education, agriculture, good technology, security, economy, infrastructure and other services. This underlines ADC’s focus in achieving good governance for Nigerians”.
The ADC leader invited all Nigerians to join the party. “ADC is the only party that guarantees equal opportunity to everyone regardless of age, gender, religion or region. Our handshake is across all divides”.
Earlier in his remarks, the party’s immediate past national chairman, Dr. Ralph Nwosu recounted that the party’s leadership resisted several inducements, ministerial appointment and pressure to turn the nation to a one party state to cement the coalition.
“We’ve taken the step so that Nigerian democracy will be on road, on the track again. Instead of one party, one individuals wanting to create fascism, convert Nigeria to one state, to one party, state. It was only the ADC that said no. Our party ADC said no, and Nigerians took part to embrace us for saying no, that we must have an opposition party, another party in force.
“No matter the kind of money you spend, you cannot fight all Nigerians. There are some politicians, for some reasons, opportunistic. They feel that it’s all about money, and they will tell you, if you can’t get them with this amount of money, what you need is more money. But we in ADC, especially the NWC members, we said, No, we rejected every offer at the point, both in Nigeria and everywhere in the world that we have been to within the last one year plus.
“The ADC leaders were able to say, No, enough is enough. We want to put our democracy on the front again, our democracy is back on track. And you know what? We are expanding everywhere because of competence”.
During the NEC, Hon. Iyolyi Razak, zonal Chairman, South moved a motion for all members expelled by the party with the exception of its Presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Dumebi Kachukwu, be reinstated. The motion was seconded by Hon. Kabiru Garba, Zamfara state chairman and it was carried by a thunderous voice vote.
Similarly, Alhaji Ibrahim Suleiman, National Organising Secretary (NoS) of the party moved a motion to dissolve the NWC and BoT leadership as well as zonal officers for the new leadership to take over the management of the party immediately until congresses are conducted to fill up the vacant positions. The motion was seconded by Dr. Charles Idowu, chairman Osun state and approved by resounding voice vote of NEC members.
The new leadership led by Mark therafter took oath of office.
The NEC was monitored by a six-man observer group from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).