2023: INEC ends Nwosu’s 17-year reign as ADC chairman, recognises Kachikwu as party’s presidential candidate

Efforts by the former national chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ralphs Nwosu, to extend his tenure beyond the provision of the law through the back doors have come to nothing.

Nwosu, who spent 17 years as ADC national chairman before the expiration of his tenure in August, sources at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disclosed, has now been told by the commission to scrap the idea of getting another tenure extension.

ADC had in early September set up a caretaker committee, after Nwosu’s controversial exit, to plan and conduct a national convention to elect substantive national officers within six weeks.

Having spent 17 years as the national chairman of the party, Nwosu was recently asked to step aside for another set of leaders to lead the party into the 2023 general election.

The decision, the INEC the source said, followed demands by Nigerians and the party’s new leadership that the right thing must be done to keep the commission’s image in good light.

“INEC has asked the former chairman to bury the idea of seeking tenure extension as his tenure as chairman expired on August 28, 2022. Any action taken after the said date by the former chairman and the NWC is null and void and won’t be recognised by the commission,” ThisDay quoted the source to have said on Wednesday.

“The commission maintains that by the constitution of the African Democratic Congress the only authority recognised is the BoT (Board of Trustees) Chairman, Mrs Patricia Akwashiki, and the NEC (National Executive Committee) of the party made up of the state chairmen.

“INEC’s position is that the BoT chairman must conduct a convention to usher in a new NWC.”

Nwosu’s travails, according to a source who spoke to The Realm News, began when he tried to ‘illegally’ remove Abia ADC chairman Don Norman Obinna from office. Nwosu, after the counterstrike to undo that ‘illegality’ began, also attempted to throw the party into chaos by suspending its presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu.

With INEC officially recognising Kachikwu as ADC’s presidential candidate for the 2023 election, Nwosu’s influence in the party he commandeered for almost two decades is not expected to wane.