Abia ADC chair retains position, vows to unseat Otti

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Don Norman Obinna on Friday in Umuahia retained his position as the state chairman of the African Democratic Congress in Abia State, and vowed to unseat Governor Alex Otti in the 2027 governorship election.

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His emergence followed the state congress of the party held in Umuahia by the Abia Congress Committee led by Chioma Cynthia Ladeinde as chairman, while Agodi Kanu emerged as secretary.

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Naomi Nwogu and Gold Mbamaghionyeukwu emerged as the state Woman Leader and Deputy Woman Leader respectively.

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Addressing journalists, Obinna said the congress followed the April 29 judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which, according to him, clarified the conduct of party congresses under Article 17 of the ADC Constitution.

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“So all we did was to go back to our states and execute or implement the court judgments

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“We wrote to INEC, Abuja, because it is a court judgment, a court order. We wrote to them and they know that we held the congresses today, and they were there,” he said.

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The congress began on Thursday with ward and local government congresses, while the state congress was held on Friday.

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“By the grace of God, it was an affirmation that I was returned as the ADC Chairman of the state”, he said, adding that a representative of INEC observed the process.

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He further stated that consultations were held with electoral authorities ahead of the exercise.

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“We held an extensive meeting with them yesterday. We sent a letter to them. They are aware of this congress because they had to obey the court order, the court judgment, which was delivered in favour of the state chairman,” he said.

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Obinna said the congress was conducted in line with Article 17 of the ADC constitution.

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“It is in our constitution. So what we did today was in line with the ADC constitution and also in line with the court judgment. Because the reason we took David Marks National Working Committee to court was not to challenge the leadership.

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“Rather, we went to court to ask the court to interpret the ADC constitution, article 17 of the ADC constitution, to determine whose constitutional right it is to conduct congresses. And the court in that wisdom, after producing through our constitution, gave a judgment that it is the ADC state chairman and the National Working Committee and the state executive committee that have the right to conduct congresses. And that was what we did today”, he said.

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He insisted that the party has no factions in the state.

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