• Says former chairman lied to court, forged signatures of state chairmen
From Adetutu Folasade-Koyi, Abuja
Former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, has alleged that party’s former national chairman committed fraud in allowing new entrants into the party.
Kachikwu, who was the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, said Nwosu forged the signatures of some state chairmen in and handed over the party to new entrants.
He also alleged the hostile takeover was to hand over the party’s ticket solely to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
At a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, Kachikwu said there is a lacuna as Nwosu’s tenure expired two years ago and the party has approached the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the court, considering a ‘doctrine of necessity.’
This move, ha added, would enable the party organise a convention to elect a new National Working Committee (NWC) for the party ahead of the 2027 general election.
He said: “A few weeks ago, I had warned that a group of mostly old former political office holders were executing a carefully orchestrated agenda to take over the ADC to prosecute Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition come 2027.
“I also warned that Peter Obi and other presidential hopefuls in this coalition of geriatrics were being duped as Atiku’s men had been carefully positioned to take over the ADC party structure across the country.
“Today, I have been proven right as former governor (Peter) Obi and his people now realise that this coalition is indeed a one-man power grab.”
Kachikwu claimed that the ADC takeover was solely for Atiku’s presidential ambition in 2027 and also alleged that he does not support a southern presidential candidate in 2027.
“Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a man who claims affinity and friendship with the south does not believe any southerner deserves to be president of Nigeria.
“Former Presidents Obasanjo and Jonathan are alive to attest to this uncomfortable truth. In their desperation to hijack the ADC they deliberately perpetrated fraud of which I now present evidence to you today.
“I have here before you terms of settlement entered as judgement in the Court of Appeal of Nigeria holden at Port Harcourt with Appeal No: CA/PH/225/2023 between the ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, Engineer Ede Lawrence as appellants and some of the ADC state chairmen as respondents.
“What is the fraud? To use the ADC they needed to free it of all legal encumbrances such as those challenging Ralph Nwosu’s fraudulent claim to the chairmanship of the party and so they forged signatures of some of the chairmen who were not interested in the sale of the party and presented it to the court as terms of settlement which the Court of Appeal adopted as judgment. I have here copies of said judgement and international passport copies of the chairmen whose signatures were forged.
“Our lawyers have dispatched petitions to the appropriate law enforcement agencies on this. As if this was not bad enough, we all watched almost two months ago the comedic performance of Ralph Nwosu as he anointed David Mark as chairman of the ADC and, at the same time presented him with a membership card of our party.
“I, again, warned Nigerians that this was fraud being perpetrated in broad daylight as Nwosu had no legal mandate to anoint or appoint a chairman for our party.”
He presented to newsmen, a Tuesday, July 29, 2025 correspondence from Nwosu and Alhaji Sai’d Baba Abdullahi (national secretary) to INEC, a 42-list of the ADC NEC’s meeting’s minutes on “the key discussions, resolutions and strategic decisions made during the meeting…which empowers NEC to exercise the powers and perform all functions of the national convention pending the next national convention…”
INEC received and stamped the correspondence on August 1, 2025. Kachikwu was in company with the Benue ADC state chairman at the press conference where he presented a Port Harcourt Court of Appeal document (Appeal No: CA/PH/225/2023 and suit no: FHC/CS/195/2022) indicating the forged signatures of Messrs Adikwu Abu Elias (Benue) and Khala Muhammad Jidda (Borno). As a counter, he presented the international passport pages of both men, stating their correct names and signatures.
“Two years ago, before I ran for the election, he said I was expelled, yet, I contested on the party’s ticket…A court has said he’s not even the chairman of the party. INEC recognised me as a flag bearer and I’m still a member of the party. Nwosu has no legal basis to say that I am not a member of the party.
“The forged signatures are criminal in nature and it would be prosecuted by the appropriate authorities and we’ve presented our case of forged signatures to them—to the police, DSS and other security agencies to investigate, and if true, we expect them to take appropriate sanctions against the perpetrators. There’s absolutely no power that can preclude me from contesting on the ADC platform in 2027…
“The people who planned with Nwosu know they’ve bought black market. They’re only helping us to popularise our party. In the next election, people would know the ADC logo and we’ll benefit from it.
Asked why the need for the ‘doctrine of necessity,’ he replied: “ADC hasn’t had a convention and we’ve approached the court and we’ve also approached INEC. Who will INEC recognise to hold the convention? There’s a lacuna. My party seeks such a doctrine of necessity to keep the dreams and hopes of our members alive so that we don’t perish under (the) onslaught of those who have hijacked the party.
“ADC as at today is presented with a peculiar situation. In the last two years, we don’t have a national chairman because Ralph Nwosu’s tenure has since expired and we’ve not been able to hold a convention to produce a new NWC…”
Also asked whether the party has a national chairman as at today, he said: “The matter is in court and the next hearing is in October—the matter before the court is whether he has any locus to sell out party.” Kachikwu said.
