Dumebi Kachikwu, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has dismissed the opposition coalition’s adoption of the party as its platform for the 2027 elections, describing the move as an amusing nullity.
The coalition, led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, announced ADC as its base to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and named ex-Senate President David Mark as interim chairman and former Osun Governor Rauf Aregbesola as interim secretary.
However, Kachikwu, in a statement, accused the group of dealing with the ADC’s former leadership under Ralph Nwosu, whose tenure expired in August 2022. He said: “It is with the greatest amusement that I watched Atiku’s group announce their takeover of ADC. They’ve bought bad market from a man who represents a bad chapter in our party’s past.”
He questioned the legitimacy of the coalition’s move, asking: “Can you build something on nothing? Can you shave a man’s hair in his absence? Can you enter a man’s house through the back door and declare yourself landlord?”
Kachikwu further criticized the coalition members as “yesterday’s men” who symbolize Nigeria’s troubled past, insisting that if they wish to join ADC, they should do so “through the front door.”
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
