Fresh cracks have emerged within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Imo State as core party stakeholders raise alarm over what they describe as a “deliberate sidelining” of founding members in the ongoing compilation of ward and local government area executive lists.
An investigation by this newspaper has revealed that tensions are rising across several LGAs and wards following the alleged unilateral production of party exco lists by a faction within the broader ADC coalition — without the input or consent of ADC’s foundational members and ward-level leadership structures.
Multiple party insiders who spoke anonymously to avoid reprisal described the development as “a coordinated hijack” by coalition partners, particularly those from the Ihedioha led Rebuild Imo camp, who joined the party recently but now seek to dominate its internal processes.
“They came in through the backdoor under the guise of forming a coalition, and now they want to edge out those who built the party from scratch,” one source said.
One of the foundation members of the party who spoke to INNONEWS alleged how he was demoted from his position at the zonal levle and someone from the Rebuild Imo camp was given his position.
“This is undemocratic. It is unacceptable to me. A party we all built when they were in political wilderness and now been forcefully taken over from us” he told INNONEWS in frustration.
At the heart of the controversy is the quiet circulation of purported executive lists allegedly drawn up by a powerful bloc within the coalition, sidelining longtime ADC members at the grassroots.
Party stakeholders across the state argue that such actions not only breach internal protocols but also risk setting the ADC in Imo State on a path of self-destruction.
“This is the same political manipulation we accused other parties of. If the ADC wants to offer an alternative, then due process must prevail,” said a ward leader in Orlu zone who spoke to this newspaper.
“We were never consulted. These lists are a product of imposition, not democracy,” one of the aggrieved members told INNONEWS.
Several founding members of the party have expressed concern that this imposition could unravel the fragile coalition built after the 2023 elections.
“The original vision of ADC is being eroded by desperate actors who came into the party recently and who think politics is a conquest, not a collaboration,” another insider noted.
Beyond procedural issues, the development has also stoked fears of internal implosion that could weaken the party ahead of the 2027 general elections in the State.
Many believe the mishandling of internal democracy and the alienation of loyal and foundation members could jeopardize the ADC’s prospects ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In numerous wards across Owerri West, Mbaitoli, and Ideato, it was gathered that protests have erupted among founding party members demanding transparency and inclusion in the selection process.
“You can’t win elections when you alienate the grassroots and the core members and stakeholders,” one visibly frustrated LGA executive member told this newspaper.
The coalition, originally designed to merge forces from Labour Party, PDP, APGA, and other groups including the ‘Obedient’ movement, is now facing questions about whether it has become a takeover plot rather than a unifying political front in Imo State.
Confirming the ongoing development in the party, Mr. Chinonso Uba, popularly known as Nonsokwa, who vied for the Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Federal Constituency seat in 2023 on the platform of the ADC, confirmed the ongoing unsavoury development in the ADC.
He was quoted to have said the ongoing situation in the ADC is unacceptable.
With the 2027 elections on the horizon, stakeholders warn that failure to resolve the brewing crisis and restore order could doom the party’s ambition to challenge the dominance of APC and PDP, not only in Imo State but in the South-East.
“If the ADC becomes like the others, it loses the moral right to seek change,” a senior party figure told this newspaper last night.
