FLASH POINT

By Abdulwaheed Olayinka Adubi, Kaduna-Nigeria

The Appeal Committee of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has upheld the Primaries election results that produced Hon. Isa Ashiru as the gubernatorial candidate of the party in Kaduna state.

The committee has equally urged the National Secretariat of the party to invite all the high- profile aspirants for political negotiations and consensus building.

Addressing a Press Conference at the ADC party Secretariat in Kaduna on Tuesday, the Secretary of the committee, Dr. Mikailu Ibrahim Barau, on behalf of the committee affirmed that “Hon. Isa Ashiru remains the duly declared winner and gubernatorial candidate of the ADC for Kaduna state based on the collated results by the electoral committee”.

The committee therefore called on the national secretariat of the party to disregard the ” Abuja Declaration, adding that the leadership of the party should call for the draft report of the committee with the petitions received.

While also advising the national secretariat of the party to set up an overhaul appeal committee for proper engagements and reporting.

The committee frawned at the unilateral decision of the appeal committee’s chairman, Dr. Mustapha Fage who had earlier substituted the name of the winner; Isa Ashiru for one of the aspirants, Hon. Shu’aibu Idris Mikat.

It explained further that the substitution of Isa Ashiru’s name as the party’s flagbearer is procedurally invalid and does not represent the collective findings or consensus of the committee.

The committee therefore described the Abuja Declaration by Dr. Fage without the input of the Secretary and other members of the committee as illegal, arguing that the authority to return or substitute a candidate rests solely with the party’s national leadership, not an ad-hoc appeals Chairman.

While addressing Journalists, Barau urged all party members to remain steadfast and calm, assuring that the committee will strictly adhere to the rule of law and the foundational internal democracy of the ADC.

” We will not allow the personal interests of a few to jeopardize the collective political aspirations of our party in the upcoming general elections”, Barau explained.