A fresh leadership crisis has emerged in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Ebonyi State, as the camp led by Barrister Silas Onu has rejected resolutions reached by a group allegedly headed by Dr Mrs. Jennifer Adibe-Nwafor, insisting that the gathering lacked the authority to speak for the party.
The Onu-led camp also maintained that Adibe-Nwafor ceased to be the state chairman of the party following the expiration of her tenure on May 19, 2026, and therefore lacked the mandate to convene meetings or issue directives on behalf of the ADC.
In a statement issued in Abakaliki and signed by the faction's State Publicity Secretary, Prince Igu Idika, the group described a recent stakeholders' meeting held at Vigo Event Centre, Abakaliki, as unauthorized and not representative of the recognized leadership structure of the party in the state.
The statement was in response to reports that emerged after the meeting, during which participants reportedly endorsed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for the 2027 presidential election and announced measures aimed at fostering unity within the party by Adibe-Nwafor group.
According to the Onu-led camp, the authentic ADC primary elections in Ebonyi State were conducted on May 21 and 22, 2026, in line with the party's constitution and electoral guidelines, producing candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The group argued that individuals claiming to be candidates under the platform of the party without participating in the recognized primaries lacked legitimacy and could not lay claim to any ADC mandate.
"The authentic ADC primaries for the 2027 general elections were conducted by the duly recognized party structure in line with the ADC Constitution and Guidelines. Anyone claiming candidacy without participating in those primaries is an impostor and has no mandate from the party," the statement said.
The faction further alleged that the stakeholders' meeting was neither convened nor approved by the recognized state leadership of the party and, as such, all resolutions, endorsements, committee appointments and caretaker arrangements announced at the event were null and void.
It stressed that any statement or decision issued by the Adibe-Nwafor group after May 19, 2026, should be regarded as a personal opinion and not the official position of the ADC in Ebonyi State.
Reaffirming its commitment to internal democracy and due process, the Onu-led camp said it remained focused on strengthening the party and providing a credible opposition platform ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group called on party members, the media and the general public to disregard all resolutions and pronouncements emanating from the disputed meeting, insisting that only the recognized leadership of the ADC in Ebonyi State has the authority to speak on behalf of the party.
