The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Enugu State was thrown into confusion on Thursday after party members clashed over the ongoing nationwide e-registration exercise.
The incident happened at Admiral Suites in Independence Layout, Enugu, where a group claiming to be founding members of the party challenged the authority of the registration committee led by Barr. Chukwuemeka Okereke. Their protest disrupted the event and forced the exercise to stop.
Supporters loyal to the state chairperson, Mrs. Stella Chukwuma, reportedly blocked Okereke from starting the registration process. The protesters also chanted solidarity songs while party leaders tried to calm the situation.
To prevent further disruption, the organisers locked the hotel gates because they feared that some people might attempt to take away sensitive party materials.
Sources at the venue said the registration materials had not even arrived at the time of the disruption. This raised suspicions that the incident might have been planned by rival groups within the party.
Reacting to the situation, ADC chieftain Hon. David Williams condemned the disruption. He described those behind it as miscreants trying to hijack the party’s structure. He also warned that any attempt to introduce money politics into the process would not be accepted.
However, former senator Gilbert Nnaji admitted that there were internal disagreements within the party. He explained that the crisis was caused by a misunderstanding about the roles of the registration committee and the state leadership.
Despite the incident, party leaders said the online registration exercise is still ongoing. However, many members are now wondering if the party in Enugu can resolve its internal crisis before the two-week nationwide registration deadline.
