Leaders, stakeholders and party faithful from Enugu East Senatorial District on Sunday converged in Enugu to formally consolidate the emerging political coalition under the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), sealing what party leaders described as a decisive unity pact ahead of future electoral contests.
Chairman of the stakeholders’ meeting and National Assistant Secretary of the ADC, Hon. Morris Nnaemeziedeh, said the gathering was convened to harmonise party structures across the zone and ensure that sacrifices made by the party’s national leadership were reflected at the state and grassroots levels.
According to him, the meeting followed earlier consultations by party leaders which resulted in the zoning of eight strategic positions to Enugu East Senatorial District. He explained that the objective of the meeting was to equitably distribute the positions among the six local government areas in the zone and mandate them to nominate credible and qualified candidates to fill the allotted slots.
“Today’s meeting is a unification of the coalition in Enugu East Senatorial Zone,” Hon. Nnaemeziedeh said. “In the meeting today, we had members of PDP, APC, ADC and mainly the Labour Party.
“Today, we have zoned the positions meant for Enugu East to all the coalescing political parties,” he added, noting that the ADC leadership in Enugu State is united and that similar zonal meetings have already taken place in the other two senatorial districts.
A stakeholder from Isi-Uzo Local Government Area who defected from the Labour Party, Prof. Chris Onah, described the coalition’s momentum as unprecedented, predicting that the political gains recorded in the 2023 general election would pale in comparison to what lies ahead.
“The feat achieved by the Labour Party in the 2023 general election will be a child’s play compared to what is coming in 2027,” Prof. Onah said.
He explained that his political alignment remains anchored on values and performance, stressing, “We’re following Peter Obi because of his proven track record when he was the governor of Anambra State.” He added that Nigeria has drifted significantly and that citizens’ voting rights must be defended, describing participation in the democratic process as “non-negotiable.”
Another stakeholder, Prof. Silk Ugwuogbu, said the unity achieved within the ADC coalition marked a defining moment in the country’s political evolution.
“2027 is a date that we have with history,” he said. “We believe that a new Nigeria is possible because the person we’re following has three things—character, competence and capacity. ADC is a moving train and we’re going to take over power in 2027.”
He welcomed members of other political parties who joined the coalition, reminding them that everyone now shares responsibility for the task ahead. “We all have a stake in making sure that 2027 is a reality. If you’re tired of the state of our economy and public institutions, we need to join ADC and change the narrative,” he said.
Former Chairman of the Labour Party in Enugu South and now an ADC stakeholder, Hon. Chinwuba Ngwu, said the meeting effectively ended internal fragmentation within the coalition.
“Today, it has dawned on us that we’re now one, and everybody has come to agree that we’re now in the ADC and will work for the party,” he said.
Speaking on the outlook for the next general election, Hon. Ngwu argued that prevailing socio-economic realities would shape voters’ decisions.
“The next election will be determined by the hunger in the land, and we’re hopeful that if Obi emerges as the presidential candidate of the ADC, our job is almost done,” he said. “If the ADC gives the presidential ticket to Obi, the election will be won before noon.”
The meeting was attended by stakeholders from Enugu North, Enugu East and Enugu South Local Government Areas, as well as Nkanu East, Nkanu West and Isi-Uzo, all of whom resolved to work in unity under the ADC platform.
