By Anthony
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In a decisive move to consolidate party unity and strengthen its electoral machinery ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in Okigwe Zone has held an enlarged strategic reconciliation meeting involving its candidates, ward coordinators and party officials across the six local government areas.
The meeting, which brought together Attorney Charles Onyirimba, who was represented by Mrs. Favour Nwelue, the Director-General of his campaign council; Sir Chima Ekurume, Hon. Obinwanne Onwuchurumba, High Chief Raymond Ohaekelem, represented by his Director-General, Chief Hyman Okoroafor; and other critical stakeholders, followed an earlier intervention at which peace was brokered and outstanding differences resolved in the overriding interest of unity, mutual understanding and collective progress.
The enlarged gathering provided an opportunity to consolidate the reconciliation, rebuild confidence among party leaders and candidates, and establish a common framework for a coordinated campaign across the zone.
Speaking at the meeting, the convened of the meeting, Chief Vice Agu, emphasised that genuine unity must be founded on honesty, transparency and mutual respect. He charged candidates and party officials to embrace truth-telling, resolve disagreements internally and resist the temptation to resort to deception, rumour or political manipulation. He cautioned that nobody should take the restoration of peace for granted, noting that actions and decisions taken today could have consequences immediately or in the future.
He urged everyone to work with one mind, stressing that the party’s ambition must transcend individual interests. Using the analogy of an elephant hunt, he maintained that when everyone contributes to a collective victory, everyone would share in its benefits. He, therefore, canvassed a collaborative campaign in which candidates would complement rather than compete against one another.
Agu also challenged the party to discard any sense of inferiority because of ADP’s relatively low public profile. He expressed confidence that the party could spring a major political surprise, likening its prospects to David’s triumph over Goliath. He encouraged candidates to make campaign materials, including posters, T-shirts and caps, available for coordinated distribution and mobilise youths and other supporters for effective grassroots engagement.
In his contribution, Hon. Obinwanne, the House of Assembly candidate for Ehim Mbano State Constituency, described the meeting as the first major gathering of ADP candidates as a united team since the party primaries. He considered the reconciliation a significant step towards electoral success, insisting that the party must now concentrate on turning its relatively unfamiliar political platform into a formidable electoral vehicle in Okigwe Zone.
He noted that political platforms, such as NDC, Labour Party and ADC had, at different times, struggled with limited public recognition before circumstances and the emergence of influential candidates brought them into wider prominence. He argued that ADP could achieve a similar breakthrough through the calibre of its candidates, their collective credibility and their ability to present a compelling alternative to the electorate.
Acknowledging that disagreements are natural in political contests, Obinwanne maintained that internal differences must never be allowed to defeat a common purpose. He particularly appreciated Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, HCN, and Senator Frank Ibezim for expressing concern over the disunity and pushing for reconciliation, describing their intervention as necessary and timely. He attributed much of the earlier misunderstanding to gossip, rumour-mongering and misinformation, expressing satisfaction that the issues had been resolved.
Nwelue, the Director-General of the Attorney Charles Onyirimba campaign, welcomed the reconciliation but stressed that peace must be sustained through responsible conduct. She charged every candidate to rein in their supporters and discourage gossip, unverified reports and inflammatory comments capable of reopening old wounds. According to her, it would be contradictory to preach unity at leadership level while allowing supporters to undermine it at the grassroots.
Hon. Eddy Ogor, in his remarks, reinforced the call for unity, discipline and unwavering focus on the electoral objective. He urged party members and candidates to remain focused on the task ahead and not allow political distractions or misplaced loyalties to derail their collective ambition.
He particularly cautioned against individuals who hide behind the popularity and political identity of Peter Obi without possessing the same credentials, character or political standing. He urged the electorate to distinguish between borrowed political popularity and the actual capacity of individual candidates to deliver. According to him, the coming election should not be reduced to party labels or the popularity of national political figures; it must ultimately be about the competence, character, credibility and proven capacity of the individual seeking the people’s mandate.
His position reinforced the need for Ndi Okigwe to look beyond political sentiments and personalities being projected elsewhere and subject every candidate to a proper assessment of what they can offer the zone.
Ekuruume, the House of Representatives candidate for Okigwe South Federal Constituency, aligned himself with the call for sustained cooperation and mutual understanding. He expressed gratitude to all those who contributed to restoring peace, urging party members to protect the reconciliation and translate the renewed understanding into purposeful political action.
Other speakers echoed the same sentiments, collectively affirming their readiness to work together as one political family. The consensus was that the party could not afford fragmented campaigns, needless rivalry or competing interests when the larger objective was to secure victory for all its candidates.
The meeting consequently reaffirmed an ambitious but collective electoral target: to deliver ADP victories across Okigwe Zone, beginning with the Senate seat, the House of Representatives seat for Okigwe South, and the State House of Assembly seats in Ehime Mbano, Isiala Mbano and Ihitte-Uboma.
The underlying message was unmistakable: no candidate should campaign in isolation, and no political ambition should undermine the collective strength of the party. Every candidate, ward coordinator, official and supporter must become part of a coordinated movement, complementing one another’s efforts and extending the party’s reach across the zone.
For ADP, the reconciliation marks an important transition from internal disagreement to collective mobilisation. The challenge now is to turn words into action, peace into partnership, and partnership into electoral strength.
The meeting ended on a renewed note of solidarity and common purpose, with participants expressing their determination to pursue the 2027 elections as one united political family.
