The leadership crisis within the Enugu State chapter of the Nigeria Democratic Congress has escalated, with the state chairman, Dr. John Paul Ani, daring the party’s National Publicity Secretary to provide evidence of alleged fraud against him or face legal action for defamation.
Speaking during a press conference in Enugu on Sunday, Ani dismissed claims that he was impersonating the party’s chairman in the state, describing the allegations as false, malicious, and politically motivated.
The controversy followed a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, who reportedly described Ani as an impostor illegally presenting himself as the authentic chairman of the Enugu chapter.
Reacting to the accusations, Ani accused some members of the party’s national leadership of attempting to hijack the party structure in Enugu through illegal means. He said those now challenging his position were previously aligned with him before allegedly changing their stance due to outside influence and financial inducement.
Ani maintained that he played a major role in establishing and strengthening the party in Enugu State, investing his time, resources, and political network to build the party structure from the ground up.
Defending the legitimacy of his leadership, the embattled chairman stated that the only valid congress of the party in Enugu was conducted at Aborigine Hall on May 4, 2026, under the supervision of security agencies, media representatives, and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He alleged that the exercise was disrupted by suspected thugs sponsored by politicians seeking to take control of the party through violence, but insisted the congress was successfully concluded and properly documented with video evidence.
Ani further disclosed that the congress which produced his executive members was supervised by the official Congress Committee sent from the national secretariat, adding that reports submitted afterward confirmed his emergence as the duly elected chairman.
The Enugu NDC chairman also accused some officials at the national secretariat of plotting to organize parallel congresses in the state. According to him, a letter was sent to INEC on May 6, 2026, seeking approval for fresh ward, local government, and state congresses scheduled for May 16 to 18.
He claimed the information was deliberately hidden from stakeholders in Enugu until just two days before the planned exercise. However, he noted that the parallel congresses were eventually halted after a court issued an order restraining the party from conducting the exercise.
Ani urged party supporters and members of the public to disregard what he described as a smear campaign against him, insisting that the allegations were aimed at discrediting a constitutionally recognized congress.
He also challenged the National Publicity Secretary to publicly provide evidence that he sold nomination or expression of interest forms to aspirants as alleged, warning that failure to do so would attract legal consequences.
The chairman further raised concerns over alleged extortion within the party, claiming that some State House of Assembly aspirants were being forced to pay ₦400,000 into a private bank account allegedly controlled by an unauthorized party official.
Calling for an investigation, Ani urged the national leadership to focus on resolving internal disputes and probing the extortion allegations rather than sponsoring media attacks capable of damaging the party’s reputation.
Citing Section 12(17) of the party’s constitution, he argued that the executives produced through the May 4 congress remain the legally recognized leadership of the party in Enugu State.
To support his claims, Ani presented documents to journalists, including a letter dated April 30, 2026, reportedly acknowledged by INEC, which detailed arrangements for the congress. He also displayed the final report of the Congress Committee submitted to the party’s National Executive Committee, which he said confirmed the successful conduct of the congress and recognized his executive members as duly elected officials.
