Leadership Battle Splits Imo ADC Amid Ihedioha’s Alleged Takeover

The Imo State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has plunged into another round of internal crisis following the rise of a new factional leadership, deepening the division within the party allegedly influenced by former Governor Emeka Ihedioha.

Ihedioha, who left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before its 2023 governorship primary that produced Senator Samuel Anyanwu, reportedly aligned his political group, the Rebuild Imo Movement, with a coalition that later formed the new ADC structure in the state to revive his governorship ambition.

This move has caused discontent among the party’s founding members, many of whom accused Ihedioha of hijacking the party for personal interests.The tension peaked on October 18, 2025, when another faction inaugurated a separate Caretaker Committee at Uzii Mission, Owerri.

Comrade Ogbonna Vitalis Chima emerged as the factional chairman during the event attended by party supporters, including 2023 ADC candidate for Mbaise Federal Constituency, Chinonso Uba, popularly known as Nonsokwa.

Uba described the new leadership as a corrective force aimed at restoring the integrity of the party. He urged members to protect the ADC constitution and prevent it from being used to serve individual ambitions.

The faction’s acting secretary, Chidi Anoruo, in a statement, accused the previous leadership under James Okoroma of compromising the party’s structure and ceding leadership positions to loyalists of the Rebuild Imo group.

He also claimed that the coalition process violated ADC’s constitutional guidelines, particularly the agreed 30/70 sharing formula between ADC members and coalition groups.

According to Anoruo, many individuals without proper party registration were unlawfully absorbed into leadership roles, which displaced the original members.

The newly elected chairman, Comrade Chima, pledged to restore unity and credibility to the ADC, assuring members that his team would unveil a strategic plan to rebuild the party before the 2027 elections.

He vowed that the party would no longer be manipulated, adding that the new leadership was determined to reclaim its rightful place in the state’s political space.