The African Democratic Congress Abia State, late Tuesday, suspended its governorship candidate in the forthcoming election, Bishop Sunday Onuoha, and three other candidates.
This was as the party stated its readiness to endorse a governorship candidate of another political party in the state.
Addressing newsmen after a meeting of the State Working Committee, the Abia ADC chairman, Norman Obinna, disclosed others to include: Abraham Godson, candidate for Abia Central Senatorial District; Iyke Nwoke, the Umuahia Central State Constituency candidate; and one Mr Osita Offor.
Obinna said the Methodist Church cleric, Sunday Onuoha, was suspended for breaching Article 22 of the party’s constitution by being involved in “acts and conducts that have brought the party into hatred, disrepute and public ridicule, as well as engaging in an unauthorised publicity of party dispute (using his radio station) and the fractionalisation and creating of parallel party organs.”
The party, he said, further resolved that it would no longer tolerate the excesses of Onuoha.
The party chieftain said, while Godson was suspended for openly adopting the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, and disparaging the ADC party’s presidential candidate on a state radio station, Nwoke deceived the party when he failed to disclose to the party that he had previously obtained nomination form under the Peoples Democratic Party, and participated in the PDP primaries and failed.
Nwoke was also alleged of engaging in activities that caused disaffection amongst party members when he unlawfully removed ward chairmen of local government areas within his constituency.
The other person, Osita Offor, a wrestler, was also suspended for parading himself as the Abia North senatorial candidate of the party, instead of Sir Martins Emetu, whose name was published by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Explaining further, the Abia ADC chairman said he had the objective to bring good governance to Abia, but that the choice of Onuoha as governorship candidate halted the plan as Onuoha had a different motive when he came into the party.
He said the suspension of Onuoha from the ADC was to inform Abians about his activities as well as let them know that Onuoha was not contesting any election under the ADC “but standing as a single entity due to his incessant distractions to the party.
“Onuoha has destroyed all the structure of the ADC in Abia State. He was planted as a mole to distract us and is not contesting for any election.
“He did not rent any campaign office or constitute his campaign committee, no billboard of Onuoha anywhere and we didn’t know when he chose his deputy.
“He has not contributed anything to the party, rather he taxes all the House of Assembly candidates to support him financially and he came into the party with so much deceit that he would use his Vision Africa Radio to attract funds for his governorship race, but all were lies.
“We keep hearing cock and bull stories every day. He doesn’t show signs of seriousness and the party cannot remain silent, hence the decision to suspend him.”
According to Obinna, Abians should not take Onuoha seriously as the party had distanced itself from him, adding that soon, the party would adopt and endorse a governorship candidate of another political party who was more credible, reliable and fit to govern Abia, stressing that “anyone that lies with little things should not be trusted with leadership positions.”
Speaking, the state Coordinator of Electoral Matters and INEC Liaison, Mr Onwuasoanya Emole, said it was time to inform Abians of the anti-party activities of Onuoha, stating that the party members and executive could no longer trust him to run under the party.
The suspension of Onuoha and the other three candidates, he said, was apt and followed process, as they all breached Article 22 of the party’s constitution.
Meanwhile, Onuoha has dismissed the alleged suspension, stating that the people allegedly suspending him has already been suspended by the party.
