Days after a former governor of Enugu State, His Excellency Okwesilieze Nwodo boasted that the African Democratic Congress (ADC), will shock many politicians in the South-East in 2027, the party has declared he is not a card carrying member.
It was reported that Nwodo had while recalling the impact of the Obidient Movement in 2023, warned detecting governors ‘that tsunami is more likely to sweep more viciously for the simple fact that our people and people all over Nigeria are living in poverty, poverty that is increasing in experiential proportion’.
There is now disquiet in the ADC, with the Enugu State chapter of the party claiming that some external forces were trying to hijack and de-stabilize the party.
The party made this known in a communiqué released after a meeting of its organs in Enugu.
The communiqué titled, ‘Enugu ADC unequivocally rejects and condemns attempts by external elements to hijack the party’, was endorsed by all the 17 local government party chairmen, all members of the State Working Committee, and all the three senatorial zonal chairmen.
According to the party, ‘the communiqué was necessitated by credible, verified, and deeply disturbing intelligence indicating that certain non-party actors have been illegally convening purported ADC meetings in private residences, falsely parading themselves as party leaders and arrogating powers to themselves which they do not possess nor granted under the ADC Constitution.
‘Investigations have revealed that these individuals are allegedly acting under the directive, influence, and supervision of His Excellency Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo who has neither resigned his membership of his previous Party, nor a card carrying member of ADC.
‘The party’s attention has further been drawn to reports of illegal zoning, sharing, and allocation of party positions, purportedly conducted by these same external elements and allegedly supervised by some Coalition leaders without the knowledge, consent, authorization, or participation of the two members of NWC from the State namely. Hon Barrister Kenneth Okonkwo and Hon Fidel Ayogu nor in line with the Coalition Guidelines. These actions amount to a gross violation of party rules, internal democracy, and coalition principles’.
‘Most disturbing and unacceptable is the revelation that in Enugu East senatorial zone, the alleged zoning and sharing of party positions were carried out without the knowledge, involvement, or consent of the recognised leader of the coalition and party in the zone, Distinguished Senator Gilbert Nnaji’.
The party described as more alarming, the fact that the Enugu State Chairman of ADC was completely unaware of such purported arrangements, and made it clear that this reckless disregard for party hierarchy, constituted authority, and leadership structures is intolerable and will not be condoned.
The communiqué highlighted: ‘As the saying rightly goes, “you cannot shave a man’s head in his absence”. Accordingly, any decision, zoning, sharing, restructuring, or arrangement undertaken outside the stipulated ADC Transition Guidelines is hereby declared null, void, illegal, and of no effect whatsoever.
‘Consequently, the ADC Enugu State Chapter coalition partners categorically and totally rejected any form of zoning, sharing, restructuring, or leadership arrangement initiated or executed by non-members of the ADC in Enugu State’.
The party leadership distanced itself from any engagement or collaboration with individuals who have failed, refused, or neglected to formally resign their membership of other political parties and properly register as ADC members.
It also rejected any attempt to deploy the ADC as a political vehicle or proxy to advance the interests of the APC-led government in Enugu State, and any action or process that contravenes the ADC Constitution, party transition guidelines, or the agreed coalition framework.
The party leadership maintained that ADC in Enugu State is not for sale, would not be hijacked, and never be compromised by individuals whose political allegiance and loyalty lie elsewhere.
The communiqué made it very clear that ADC is founded on the principles of discipline, ideology, internal democracy, rule of law, collective leadership, and respect for due process, and not on clandestine meetings, political ambush or external manipulation.
In view of the foregoing, the leadership of Enugu ADC formally called on the National Leadership of the party to urgently intervene decisively in this matter, enforce strict compliance with the ADC Constitution and the coalition guidelines, and safeguard the integrity of the Party.
It stated categorically and without ambiguity that all arrangements, decisions, zoning or allocations purportedly made by these individuals are hereby totally rejected in their entirety by the ADC, Enugu state Chapter.
The communiqué maintained that ADC Enugu State Chapter remains united, resolute and unwavering in its commitment to building a strong, credible, and disciplined and people oriented opposition party that genuinely reflects the will, aspirations and democratic choice of the people of the people of Enugu State, reaffirming the collective determination of the party members to work together for the unity, growth, stability and electoral success of the ADC.
