By,: AUSTINE AGBO EMMANUEL, Kaduna
The leadership of Action Democratic Party (ADP), Kaduna State chapter has suspended its gubernatorial candidate, Alhaji Sani Sha’aban over an alleged antiparty activity.
Acting Chairman, Kaduna ADP, Alhaji Umar Isah who made this known during a press conference held in Kaduna on Friday, said the party lost confidence in him, since the day he chose to campaign against its presidential candidate.
Umar said, “It may, however, interest you to note that since the emergence of Hon. Sani Mahmud Sha’aban, the party assumed it has found a worthy candidate to fly its flag, the gubernatorial candidate constituted a campaign team and we assumed that it was the beginning of seriousness to contest for the gubernatorial seat in Kaduna.
“Since, this earlier development as stated above, Hon. Sani Sha’aban has not been forthcoming with his dealings with the party and members of his campaign team. He has not kept to agreed arrangements that were put in place to galvanize the campaign activities in the state for the ADP and the gubernatorial candidate.
“His disregard for the party and the campaign team he constituted, has created division in the party, forcing prominent members and elders to either abandon the ADP or adopt nonchalant attitude, which is causing the party dearly of its support gained within the short while. It is unfortunate that few months to the general elections, the party has remained virtually invisible at a time of heightened campaign and mobilization of voters.
“This most unfortunate situation is caused by the disinterested and nonchalant attitude of Sani Shaaban, who has shown utter disregard to the party’s Leaders and due process. The invitation and subsequent disinvitation from the BBC Hausa debate was an eye opener and raised alarm for the party, which led to the party further investigating and checking with INEC on the status of uploading Hon. Sani Shaaban’s name on their portal.
“Efforts to follow up and ensure that his name is uploaded on the INEC portal did not yield positive results, we have not been able to ascertain the status of his candidature.
“The candidate alone, knows why he keeps saying he is running for the gubernatorial seat, knowing fully well that his name is not on the portal and keeps organizing little campaign gathering, but all is a hoax, the party and campaign team has been following him, but to the party’s dismay he has continued to undermine the party and his campaign team.
“We therefore, found ourselves in very difficult situation, such that up to now, we have been unable to commence serious campaigns due to lack of seriousness, preparedness and commitment on his part.
“INEC handed the agent tags for both presidential and gubernatorial elections to me as the state chairman, of which I released the tags for Zone 1 to Hon. Sani Shaaban to distribute and cater for the agents but to my dismay after the elections, the agents held on to the tags, saying they have not been paid by the gubernatorial candidate, fortunately I still have in my possession the Zone 2 and 3 tags, which he keeps insisting I hand over to him, but with the way he handled the agents and the tags for Zone 1, I did not release the tags to him for which he has orchestrated this turn of events.
“To my surprise, I was told sometime yesterday from unconfirmed reports that I have been suspended, as at the time of this press release, I have not been served any letter by the National Party, but a copy has been given to the gubernatorial candidate which he and his people have been circulating on the social media. I know the national chairman to be an experienced party man, a man of due process who stood for the just concluded Presidential elections 2023.
“There is a due process for suspension or removal of a state chairman according to the party’s constitution and it must be a decision of the National Working Committee subject to ratification by the National Executive Committee. It is doubtful if this due process was followed. Gentlemen of the press above are some of the happenings with others which for want of time cannot be exhausted in one press conference, which has led to the decision by some of the exco here to clarify what is in the media space.
“I therefore, wish to inform members of the party, the public, all our supporters and associates that the Party hereby suspends Hon. Sani Shaaban from the party indefinitely and he should forthwith desist from parading himself as the gubernatorial candidate of the ADP. Thank you all and may Allah bless us all,” he said.
The chairman clarified that Sha’aban was made to be the replacement of former party candidate, Yusuf Jibrin and his running mate, John Solomon, but all efforts to upload his name on INEC portal proved abortive, adding that they are going to be on the ballot, come March 18, 2023 with the original candidates on the portal.
It would be recalled that Sha’aban, a gubernatorial aspirant of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and son-in-law to president Muhammadu Buhari, resigned his APC membership in Nov. 28, 2022 after the Federal high court sitting in Kaduna, said it lacked jurisdiction to entertain his case filed against the gubernatorial candidate of APC, Senator Uba Sani.
