Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, SAN, has asked the David Mark-led African Democratic Congress, ADC, to stop blaming imaginary opponents for the crisis it brought upon itself and do the needful in order to be on the ballot in next year’s general elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Wednesday de-recognised the ADC leadership and removed David Mark’s name and that of Rauf Aregbesola from its portal as national chairman and national secretary of ADC respectively pending the resolution of the party’s legal dispute. The ADC on its part has argued that INEC’s decision was a case of the voice of Jacob but the hands of Esau while blaming the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, for its crisis.
In his reaction, Mr Keyamo in a post on his X handle, advised the ADC to either find a new risk-free platform or ask for accelerated hearing of its case in court instead of blaming the ruling party or INEC.
Keyamo’s post read: “The David Mark’s faction of the ADC really think they can use emotional reasoning and blackmail to bluff their way out of a purely legal conundrum they brought upon themselves. Unfortunately for them, law does not admit of sentiment. Decisions are based on facts, evidence, and the interpretation of laws, rather than on sympathy, emotion or political considerations.
“All those who are arguing about ‘status quo ante bellum’ are dispensing their time and energy chasing shadows and not the substance. This is because whether INEC recognises either faction for now is irrelevant: what is relevant is that there is a challenge regarding the take-over of the Party pending in court by a duly elected Deputy National Chairman.
“As long as that case remains in court, all the actions of either faction MAY end up being nugatory AFTER the deadline for nominations of candidates by INEC. The implication is that the ADC may end up having NO CANDIDATE for the election.
“Therefore, instead of vilifying INEC, the ADC should rather thank INEC for this timely action of de-recognising both factions BEFORE the close of the window for nominating candidates. It has duly forewarned the Party of the danger ahead and opened a window for them to either find a new, risk-free platform or ask for accelerated hearing of the case in court, or politically settle the leadership question in the Party quickly.
“To keep blaming imaginary opponents or INEC is purely mischievous: neither APC nor INEC prodded these grown adults and supposedly ‘experienced’ politicians to go and hijack an existing platform without sound legal advice and without properly sorting out every member of the leadership of that existing platform.
“They say they will proceed with their congresses and Convention despite INEC’s decision and the ruling of the Court of Appeal. That is fine by us. NEVER INTERRUPT YOUR OPPONENT WHEN HE IS MAKING A MISTAKE”.