One of the coalition parties in the build up to 2019 governorship elections, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dissociated itself from a news report, endorsing Governor Seyi Makinde of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for a second term.
The ADC stated this in a disclaimer statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Barr. Bimpe Adelowo and made available to the News Carrier NG.
The statement noted that ADC is not a group but a political party that has procedures and processes of making decision. The party maintained that there has not been a time or forum where a proposal, for the adoption or endorsement of Governor Seyi Mankinde as sole candidate of our party in 2023 governorship Elections, was presented, discussed and resolved.
The statement reads in full:
ADC Oyo State neither declares support for nor endorses Governor Seyi Mankinde’s 2nd term bid.
The attention of our great party in the State has been drawn to a news making round by a Media outfit, Alore news, purportedly claiming that our great party in Oyo State has endorsed and declared support for Governor Seyi Mankinde’s 2nd term bid.
ADC is a political party registered by INEC with chapters across 36 States of Federal Republic of Nigeria which Oyo State is one of the chapters.
It is true that Oyo State Chapter of the ADC towards 2019 governorship Elections with the approval of the National headquarters of the Party and other political parties in the Oyo State entered into a coalition arrangement with PDP which was rewarded by the emergence of Governor Seyi Mankinde as the Executive Governor of Oyo State.
Furthermore, the said Coalition arraignments by the agreement imposed mutual obligations on the coalescent parties such obligations include stepping down the governorship ambition of the other coalescent parties’ candidates for the candidate of PDP to form a strong force that can defeat the incumbent in the Elections; while the beneficiary party has corresponding obligation of giving some slot for appointments to the other coalescent parties.
ADC Oyo State in accepting offer to form the coalition Government under the leadership of Governor Seyi Mankinde donated some of its members to serve in various capacities as agreed under the Coalition agreement; and we acknowledge the fact that our party has not withdrawn from the Coalition Agreement and neither we take any position on going into coalition arrangement with any political party in 2023 general Elections nor endorse ambition of anyone let alone declaring support for the 2nd term bid of Governor Seyi Mankinde.
We want to say categorically here that moreso the purported endorsement or support for the Governor Seyi Mankinde’ s 2nd term bid has never been in the plan of the National headquarters of our great party, our party in Oyo State wouldn’t have declared support for the Governor Seyi Mankinde’s 2nd term bid.
Our party is a political party with open platform for any of its members to express and realize their ambition of becoming anything including governorship ambition.
We want to further say at this juncture that ADC is not a group but a political party that has procedures and processes of making decision and there has not been a time or forum where a proposal, for the adoption or endorsement of Governor Seyi Mankinde as sole candidate of our party in 2023 governorship Elections, was presented, discussed and resolved.
We acknowledge that some of our members in their exuberance and excitement over the guesture of Governor Seyi Mankinde in fulfilling part of Coalition Agreement, may have expressed their desires to support 2nd term bid of Governor Seyi Mankinde, such individuals’ world view does not translate to the collective decision of the party and it cannot be.
Any member of our party who may have expressed his/her support for Governor Seyi Mankinde’s 2nd term bid only did so in the exercise of his/her right of expression.
ADC Oyo State is pleased to offer its members to serve under the Governor Seyi Mankinde’s led Coalition Government but such member or members’ view/desire will not certainly represent the position of our great party and any support declared for the 2nd term bid of Governor Seyi Mankinde should therefore be understood to be position of such individual member; our guesture to maintain good relationship with present Government of Oyo should not be taken as support or endorsement or adoption for Governor Seyi Mankinde’s 2nd term bid.
We hereby distant our party in Oyo State from any purported declaration of support for the 2nd term bid of Governor Seyi Mankinde for such has no approval of National headquarters of our great party.
Singed
Barr. Bimpe ADELOWO
Publicity Secretary, ADC Oyo State.
