The Kaduna State Governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Hon. Sani Shaaban has been suspended by the acting Chairman of the party in the state, Hon. Umar Isah.
Addressing a press men on Friday, the acting Chairman however recalled that he was appointed as the acting Chairman of the state chapter of the party and since then, he has made efforts to steer the affairs of the party to the best of his ability and other excos, to reposition it as a major player in the political affairs of Kaduna state.
He said, under their watch, the party had sourced suitable individuals to man the local Government and ward executives of the Party. “We were informed of slots to fill for some candidates to contest for various positions in the 2023 general elections.
“We organized congresses to rectify the candidates according to the electoral law 2022 as amended. It may, however, interest you to note that since the emergence of Hon. Sani Mahmud Shaaban, 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 Shaaban 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 processes.
“The invitation and subsequent disinvitation from the BBC Hausa debate was an eye opener and raised alarms 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 candidacy.
“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 and 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 them 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.
“We are aware of his nocturnal meetings before the presidential elections with other Parties hence, his lackluster attitude towards party loyalty; thereby he did not support the ADP’s Presidential Candidate. This event led my stopping the zonal chairmen from handing the agent tags until we can ascertain the situation, and I spoke with the National Chairman, Engr. Yabagi Yusuf Sani on the happenings in the State in a long telephone conversation, but nothing has been done.
“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” he stated.