The African Democratic Congress in Cross River State has inaugurated a new State Executive Council following the successful conduct of its state congress held in Calabar on Sunday
Victoria Omini- CALABAR
The State Chairman of the party, Dr. John Ogar Ambassadors, said the congress marked the formal inauguration of the new leadership that would pilot the affairs of the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the congress, Ogar said the exercise was in line with the party’s constitutional process of conducting congresses before elections.
“What happened today was the state congress of the African Democratic Congress in Cross River State. In this congress, we inaugurated the new state chapter and the executives. After this, we are moving into the primaries of the party and then preparing for elections,” he said.
He disclosed that the State Executive Council comprises 37 members and expressed optimism that the party would conclude its primaries within the stipulated timeline provided by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
According to him, the party still has enough time to sell nomination forms, conduct primaries and resolve appeals before the June deadline.
Addressing reports of parallel congresses by alleged factions within the party, Oga insisted that the ADC remains one united political party and dismissed claims of division within the Cross River chapter.
“We do not have any faction. ADC is one. What happened was an attempt by some persons to usurp powers, and we went to court to seek interpretation of the party constitution,” he stated.
The chairman explained that the dispute centered on constitutional provisions guiding the conduct of congresses at the state level.
He cited Section 17 of the party constitution, which he said empowers state working committees to organise congresses subject to ratification by the State Executive Council, while the national body only plays a supervisory role.
According to him, the court affirmed the powers of state executives to conduct congresses in their respective states and directed the national leadership and the Independent National Electoral Commission to recognise the process.
Oga acknowledged that the party had experienced internal wrangling but maintained that reconciliation efforts were already yielding positive results.
He revealed that the national leadership had reached out to the state chapter through several emissaries in a bid to resolve disagreements and strengthen the party ahead of future elections.
“There was internal wrangling, but sometimes before progress happens there will be some ruffling. The national chairman has reached out and there have been discussions for settlement so we can move ahead together,” he said.
The ADC chairman also expressed confidence that the party would field candidates for all elective positions in the coming elections.
On the defection of a former opposition figure from the ADC, Oga criticised the move, saying it contradicted earlier public calls for opposition parties to unite under one platform to challenge the ruling party.
“He was one of those who said the opposition must come together under one platform if they want to change the narrative in Nigeria. For him to leave after making that position public was not in good faith,” he said.
He, however, noted that every politician has the right to make personal political decisions.
Oga further claimed that many of those involved in the disputed congresses had already aligned with another political movement before the court judgment was delivered, insisting that loyal members remained committed to the ADC structure in Cross River State.
He added that apart from one former chairman, the party’s executive members in the state had remained intact and committed to the growth of the ADC.
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