***Accused of working with APC to destabilise party
A dramatic internal revolt has engulfed the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter of the African Democratic Congress, with party stakeholders suspending the very officials who had earlier moved to discipline one of the party’s most prominent figures.
In what insiders describe as a stunning political reversal, the FCT chairman, Clement Obah Ehigiator, and three other party officials were suspended on Saturday following an emergency stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja.
Also affected by the disciplinary action are the Wuse Ward Chairman, Kanayo Okezie; the Wuse Ward Secretary, Omale Sule—accused of impersonating the chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC); and Barrister Amanda Pam, a ward leader and stakeholder from Kabusa.
The development comes days after a controversial announcement by the Wuse Ward leadership claiming that the senator representing the FCT, Ireti Kingibe, had been indefinitely suspended over alleged anti-party activities.
That announcement, reportedly made after a ward stakeholders’ meeting on March 10, immediately sparked confusion and outrage across party structures, with many questioning both the process and the authority behind the move.
The national leadership of the ADC quickly disowned the action. In a statement, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the claim as false and misleading, insisting that the national secretariat had no knowledge of any such decision.
With tensions rising within the party, key stakeholders convened an emergency meeting at the ADC secretariat in Gudu, Abuja, where the decision to suspend the four officials was taken in what many described as an attempt to restore order to the embattled chapter.
Addressing the gathering, Ambassador Destiny Emmanuel said the meeting was convened to address acts of misconduct and insubordination threatening the stability of the party in the FCT.
“We are here to put an end to the shenanigans, the insubordination to leadership, and the criminal activities by people parading themselves with disrespect to leadership and the national leadership in the FCT,” he said.
According to Emmanuel, the meeting drew wide participation from the party’s grassroots and leadership structures, including more than 50 ward chairmen out of the 62 in the territory, six area council chairmen, members of the party’s National Executive Committee wing, and other stakeholders.
He insisted that the purported suspension of Senator Kingibe violated the party’s constitution.
“You cannot just wake up and say you are suspending a serving senator without any petition or complaint in writing. Political parties are guided by principles and constitution,” he said.
Other party leaders echoed similar concerns. The party’s Deputy National Auditor, Princess Nneka Nnebo, accused the suspended chairman of fueling divisions within the party.
“We have allowed them to follow the right channel, but Clement is not ready to work with that. Instead, he is creating disunity among party members in the state,” she said.
The FCT State Secretary, Ambassador Hyginus John, said the party structure had lost confidence in the chairman’s leadership.
“That is why the state structure of the party—consisting of ward and area council chairmen and the state council—has passed a vote of no confidence,” he said.
Stakeholders also questioned the credibility of the allegations used to justify the attempted suspension of the senator.
A party leader from Abaji Area Council, Umar Zuru, dismissed the claims as unsubstantiated.
“You are accusing somebody based on hearsay. They said ‘we heard she was given ₦100 million.’ Who gave the money? Who was there?” he asked.
Similarly, the Abaji Area Council chairman and FCT ALGON chairman, Umaru Mundi, said the six area council chairmen supported the suspension of the state chairman.
“The suspension took place in the state secretariat, not in a beer palace,” he said.
Meanwhile, the congress-recognised AMAC chairman of the party, Emeka Nnamane, warned that anyone falsely presenting themselves as the AMAC chairman of the party would face legal consequences.
“Anybody parading himself as the AMAC chairman of ADC is impersonating and will face the full wrath of the law,” he said.
Beyond the internal wrangling, some stakeholders alleged that external political interests may have influenced the crisis.
One speaker at the meeting claimed the suspended chairman had been compromised by members of the ruling All Progressives Congress in an attempt to weaken the ADC’s rising influence in the FCT.
“It is very obvious that the state chairman has been bribed by APC people to disturb ADC, knowing very well that ADC has come to stay,” the stakeholder alleged.
With accusations and counter-accusations now flying across party ranks, the crisis has plunged the FCT chapter of the ADC into deeper uncertainty, leaving leaders struggling to restore unity and credibility within the party.
