DistantNews
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

Edo ADC Loses Ex-Senate Chief Whip, Others to NDC Amidst Internal Crisis

From The Punch · (7m ago) English Critical tone

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Prominent members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Edo State, including former Senate Chief Whip Sir Rowland Owie, have defected to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
  • The defectors cited alleged hijacking of the party by Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and internal crises as reasons for their departure.
  • The ADC's state chapter expressed no concern about the defections, stating they are preparing for primaries ahead of the 2027 elections.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Edo State is experiencing significant internal turmoil, leading to the departure of key figures. Sir Rowland Owie, a former Chief Whip of the Senate, and Sunny Aguebor, a founding member, have publicly announced their move to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), citing deep-seated issues within the ADC's leadership.

The administration of the party, especially in Edo South, became lunatic.

— Sir Rowland OwieExplaining the reasons for his defection from the African Democratic Congress.

According to Owie, the party's state leadership selection process was flawed, with allegations that Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, a former governor, orchestrated the hijacking of the party structure. He also pointed to the party's national-level crises and the perceived lack of transparency, where party tickets were allegedly being reserved for individuals not yet members. Owie described the situation as "lunatic" and stated that "all real members of the ADC in the state have gone to NDC."

Do you know some of them were reserving senatorial seats and House of Representatives seats for people who have not joined ADC?

— Sir Rowland OwieHighlighting alleged irregularities in party ticket allocation.

Aguebor added that the NDC offers a more stable environment, free from the legal encumbrances that he claims are plaguing the ADC. This move highlights a broader trend of political realignments and internal party struggles that often precede major election cycles in Nigeria. The defections underscore the importance of internal party democracy and transparent candidate selection processes, issues that resonate deeply with party faithful across the country.

I can tell you that all real members of the ADC in the state have gone to NDC.

— Sir Rowland OwieAsserting the widespread nature of the defection among genuine party members.

While the ADC's state publicity secretary-elect, Christopher Ojeikere, dismissed the defections as inconsequential and affirmed the party's readiness for the 2027 elections, the departure of figures like Owie signals a potential weakening of the party's base in Edo State. The narrative of "real members" moving to a more stable platform suggests a strategic effort by the defectors to position themselves within a party perceived to have better prospects, reflecting the pragmatic nature of Nigerian politics where party loyalty is often secondary to electoral viability.

The party is not worried about this development, and I can tell you that we are preparing for our primaries to pick candidates for the 2027 election.

— Christopher OjeikereResponding to the defections as the ADC's State Publicity Secretary-elect.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog