The Imo State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been thrown into fresh turmoil following the emergence and inauguration of a new caretaker committee, signaling a deepening rift within the party allegedly taken over by former governor Emeka Ihedioha.
Ihedioha, who dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after losing the 2023 governorship ticket to Senator Samuel Anyanwu (Sam Daddy), found a new political home in the ADC, ostensibly to relaunch his governorship ambition.
His move has, however, unsettled the party’s foundation in the state, with key members describing it as a hijack of the ADC structure for personal political gain.
The crisis came to a head on October 18, 2025, when a faction of the party inaugurated a caretaker committee at Uzii Mission, Owerri.
The event, attended by what insiders described as the “root members” of the ADC, marked a public rejection of the coalition formed between the James Okoroma-led faction and Ihedioha’s Rebuild Imo structure.
In a statement signed by Acting Secretary, Chidi Anoruo and seen by this newspaper , the new faction accused Okoroma of “selling the party’s soul” to the Rebuild Imo movement, allegedly in exchange for personal political relevance.
“Who will sit back when another man comes into his house and takes over his wife?” the statement queried, accusing Okoroma of trading away ADC’s leadership positions in the state, local government, and wards to Rebuild Imo loyalists.
At the inauguration, Mr Chinonso Uba, popularly called NonsoNkwa was hailed as the rallying force behind what supporters termed the “reclamation of ADC’s integrity.”
He was praised for standing up against what they described as the “illegal and unconstitutional coalition” that pushed out the party’s original members from leadership roles.
According to the statement, Nonsokwa who spoke at the event, charged the new leaders to uphold the ADC constitution and resist all attempts to compromise the party’s values.
“ADC must remain a people-driven movement, not a political franchise for those seeking a comeback,” he said.
Newly inaugurated caretaker chairman, Comrade Ogbonna Vitalis Chima, vowed to restore the party’s lost glory and announced that a new strategic action plan would soon be unveiled to reposition the ADC ahead of 2027.
“We are reclaiming what is rightfully ours. The days of manipulation are over,” Chima declared.
The faction also faulted the coalition process that birthed the Rebuild Imo ADC, alleging gross violation of the party’s constitutional provisions and integration template.
According to the group, the required 30:70 sharing ratio between ADC and coalition members was ignored, while Rebuild Imo supporters—who, they claimed, have no recognized party status—were illegally inserted into leadership positions.
“The ADC constitution is clear on membership and leadership integration,”
“No one becomes a party leader without proper registration and membership validation. None of these were followed.” the faction stated.
