The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has suspended Dumebi Kachikwu, its presidential candidate.

The development came hours after Kachikwu supported the call of the party’s chairmen who called on Ralph Nwosu, its national chairman, to resign after 17 years in office.

In a statement on Saturday, Bamidele Ajadi, ADC’s deputy national chairman, said the decision was taken at the party’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting that was held on Friday.

Ajadi said since Kachikwu emerged standard bearer of the party, he has failed to come up with a strategy for the party’s presidential campaign activities due to commence soon.

“The NWC viewed with great concern the baseless and defamatory video made, published and circulated by Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu, which was intended to disparage and impugn the integrity and image of a peaceful and transformation oriented African Democratic Congress and its national officers,” he said.

“The NWC also noted that since the 9th of June 2022 when he was elected the presidential candidate, he has failed, neglected and/or refused to share with the party any meaningful, constructive or reasonable presidential campaign roadmap for the forthcoming presidential election.

“His negative actions and/or inactions so far, have put in jeopardy the fate and prospects of all our candidates contesting for various offices across the country.

“The committee of the whole house, in a very clear and unequivocal term condemned the said video in its entirety and described it as a piece of badly crafted blackmail and mudslinging, and thereby unanimously recommended his immediate suspension from the party from today, Friday 2nd September, 2022.

“This resolution would be forwarded to the NEC for further actions.”