The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Enugu State, Ocho Obodoeze, has dismissed reports that he has stepped down from the 2027 governorship race to support the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Uche Nnaji.
Obodoeze made the clarification during an emergency meeting of the ADC State Executive Council in Enugu, where he called on party leaders and supporters to remain focused and intensify preparations for the election.
He maintained that his candidacy remains valid, stating that the names of ADC candidates in Enugu State had been submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the party’s national leadership.
According to him, the party has complied with the relevant constitutional and legal provisions required for its candidates to participate in the election.
The ADC candidate, who hails from Aku in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu North Senatorial District, urged supporters to disregard reports suggesting that he had abandoned his ambition.
He also directed party members and officials to strengthen the party’s presence at the grassroots and commence wider mobilisation across communities ahead of the 2027 poll.
The party’s caretaker chairman, Chris Eze, a retired general, similarly appealed to members to maintain unity and work collectively towards securing victory for the ADC.
The caretaker secretary, Adolphus Ude, said the party’s attention should be directed towards building strong structures at polling units across the state. He stressed the importance of having credible and trusted party representatives to safeguard the ADC’s interests during the election.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Obodoeze Campaign Council, Walter Oji, advocated the creation of door-to-door mobilisation teams in wards throughout the state to strengthen the campaign.
In a statement issued after the meeting, the ADC specifically rejected claims that Obodoeze was no longer its governorship candidate or that he had endorsed the PDP’s Nnaji.
The party described the reports as false and misleading, insisting that its national leadership had submitted the names of its governorship and House of Assembly candidates in Enugu to INEC in line with the Electoral Act.
The ADC further referred to a recent Court of Appeal decision in Abuja involving a dispute over the PDP’s governorship candidate in Osun State, arguing that the judgment reinforced the legal authority of political parties in the nomination and submission of candidates.
The party also argued that the INEC online portal is an administrative mechanism rather than a constitutional requirement, maintaining that its nomination process had complied with the law.
The ADC attributed what it described as the false reports about Obodoeze’s candidacy to the party’s increasing political visibility in Enugu State.
The party said it would continue its mobilisation efforts and remain focused on challenging the ruling party in the 2027 governorship election.