Rivers ADC Condemns 'Faction' Reports Linking to Wike's Rainbow Coalition

The leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Rivers State has strongly denounced what it termed misleading and fabricated media reports. These publications falsely claimed that a supposed 'ADC faction' had merged with the Rainbow Coalition, a political group spearheaded by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The party firmly asserted that it maintains a unified structure within the state, refuting any notion of internal divisions. It clarified that the ADC operates as a single, cohesive political entity under the legitimate National Executive Committee led by Senator David Mark, with established structures functioning across Rivers State.

Mr. Chizi Enyi, the State Publicity Secretary for the ADC, conveyed this position in a statement released to journalists in Port Harcourt on Tuesday. Enyi further clarified that individuals featured in these reports, presenting themselves as representatives or leaders of the ADC, lack official recognition, authority, or mandate to speak on behalf of the party in Rivers State.

The Rivers ADC spokesperson emphasized, “Any political declaration, alliance, endorsement or purported ‘collapse’ announced by such individuals is entirely personal and cannot, under any circumstance, be attributed to or bind the African Democratic Congress.”

The party expressed significant concern over the repeated mention of an alleged 'Ibe Kachukwu faction' within the ADC, which it insists does not exist in the state. “We challenge anyone to identify any official, leader or recognised stakeholder of the African Democratic Congress by that name either in Rivers State or within the National Leadership of the Party,” the statement declared.

The ADC argued that this glaring factual error undermines the credibility of the publications and raises serious questions regarding the verification processes employed before their release. It added that this reinforces their belief that the reports were intentionally crafted to misinform the public and create a false perception of disunity within the ADC.

In light of these developments, the party urged all security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS), along with other relevant law enforcement bodies, to investigate the activities of individuals falsely representing themselves as ADC officials. The aim is to determine if offences like impersonation, false representation, conspiracy, forgery, or other legal violations have occurred.

The statement concluded by affirming the ADC’s commitment: “The ADC will pursue every lawful means available to protect its identity, safeguard its integrity, and ensure that those who seek to deceive the public by falsely holding themselves out as representatives of the Party are held accountable in accordance with the law.” The party also reassured its members, supporters, and the people of Rivers State that it remains united, focused, and dedicated to delivering credible leadership and good governance. It stressed that no amount of misinformation, sponsored propaganda, or political mischief would deter its resolve.