The Ebonyi State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been plunged into a leadership crisis following the emergence of two parallel state chairmen from separate congresses held on Saturday, April 11, 2026. The development has sparked intense concern among party faithful and political observers, as the division threatens to undermine the party’s prospects ahead of the local government elections and the 2027 general polls. One faction, which held its congress at the party’s state secretariat in Abakaliki, reaffirmed the leadership of the incumbent State Chairman, Mrs. Jennifer Adibe Nwafor. Meanwhile, a rival group conducted its own exercise at a different venue in the state capital, announcing a new executive committee led by a parallel chairman, further deepening the rift within the opposition platform.
The crisis in the Ebonyi ADC has been brewing for several weeks, characterized by allegations of external interference and a struggle for the control of the party’s structure. Mrs. Jennifer Adibe Nwafor had earlier raised an alarm, accusing a former governor of the state and prominent political figure, Senator Sam Egwu, of being the architect of the internal discord. Nwafor alleged that the former governor and his associates were attempting to impose a “consensus arrangement” that would effectively sideline the existing leadership and pave the way for a takeover by a different political interest. The rejection of this consensus deal by Nwafor’s loyalists led to the heated atmosphere that culminated in the conduct of the parallel congresses.
The rival faction, however, maintains that its exercise was the “legitimate” one, conducted in accordance with the party’s constitution and supervised by a different set of national officials. They argued that the leadership of Nwafor had failed to grow the party in the state and that a change was necessary to reposition the ADC as a formidable force against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi. The emergence of two chairmen has created a legal and administrative bottleneck for the national leadership of the ADC, headed by the National Chairman, Chief Ralphs Okey Nwosu. The national secretariat now faces the difficult task of reconciling the two warring factions or making a definitive ruling on which congress fulfilled the electoral requirements.
Political analysts observe that the crisis in the Ebonyi ADC is a microcosm of the larger struggles for power within opposition parties in Nigeria as they prepare for the next major election cycle. The “Egwu factor” mentioned by the Nwafor camp highlights the enduring influence of legacy political leaders in the state and their role in shaping the fortunes of various political platforms. Experts suggest that the current impasse could lead to a wave of defections if not resolved quickly, as members may seek more stable alternatives. The broader implications of the dual chairmanship point toward a potential litany of court cases, which could further distract the party and deplete its meager resources.
Stakeholders within the Ebonyi political space have expressed worry that a fractured ADC will only serve to strengthen the dominance of the ruling party under Governor Francis Nwifuru. They maintain that for the ADC to remain relevant, it must resolve its internal contradictions and present a unified front. The situation remains fluid as both “chairmen” continue to claim authority over the party’s affairs, each issuing conflicting directives to the local government and ward-level executives. As the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) awaits the official report from the congresses, the residents of Ebonyi and the ADC members remain in a state of uncertainty regarding the true leadership of the party in the state.
