The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) elected Dr. Anih John Paul as chairman and Dr. Sebastine Okafor as secretary at its Enugu State congress on Monday, uniting experienced cross-party figures in its bid to become a formidable political force in the state.
The congress, held in Enugu, produced a 29-member executive leadership through a consensus arrangement reached by party delegates, a method that organizers say reflects the party’s commitment to internal harmony and democratic principles.
Dr. Anih Johnpaul is no stranger to the political arena. A former House of Assembly candidate who flew the flag of the Labour Party during the keenly contested 2023 general election, his emergence as NDC State Chairman speaks volumes about the fluid nature of Nigerian party politics and perhaps the NDC’s deliberate strategy to attract experienced political hands regardless of their origin.
Joining him at the helm is Dr. Sebastine Chukwuebuka Okafor, who steps into the role of state secretary, having previously served as Enugu North secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Together, the two men represent a cross-pollination of political experience that the NDC appears to be banking on as it seeks to widen its footprint in a state long dominated by established parties.
The atmosphere at the congress was reportedly one of measured cooperation. Motions for the dissolution of the acting executives and the subsequent adoption of the new executive list by consensus were moved by the acting state deputy chairman, Ambassador Chinachi Nnabuko Chibueze, and acting publicity secretary, Chuma Amadife, with a procedural smoothness that the party’s hierarchy will be eager to project as a sign of unity ahead of future electoral battles.
It was the State Congress Committee Secretary, Engr. Echezona Ogbanufe, who formally declared Dr. Johnpaul Anih elected, closed a chapter on the tenure of the party’s acting executives and opened what both leadership and delegates hope will be a more formidable era for the NDC in Enugu State.
In an address that set the tone for the expectations now resting on the new executive’s shoulders, Engr. Ogbanufe issued a pointed charge to the incoming leadership. He urged the newly elected officials to galvanize broader support for the party while remaining open to the influx of new members, a call to expand both the party’s tent and its grassroots network.
Unity, discipline, and loyalty were the watchwords he returned to repeatedly, insisting that the NDC’s true strength lay not in individual ambition but in the collective will of its faithful to pursue shared goals.
Engr. Ogbanufe also struck a note of accountability, pressing the new executives to uphold transparency in all party dealings and to ensure that internal democracy remains more than mere rhetoric. “The strength of the party lies in its ability to work together toward a common goal,” he was reported as saying, in words that carried both encouragement and quiet warning.
He further tasked the leadership with deepening the party’s structural reach from the state capital down to the wards and local governments, describing this grassroots consolidation as non-negotiable for any party that aspires to electoral relevance.
Taking the floor after his declaration, Dr. Anih struck a conciliatory and visionary tone, expressing gratitude to delegates for entrusting him with the chairmanship.
He pledged to lead with fairness and commitment to the party’s founding ideals while working to strengthen internal structures, promote inclusiveness, and position the NDC as what he described as “a credible alternative for effective governance” in Enugu State, a pointed message, it would seem, directed at the state’s political establishment.
Dr. Anih took time to acknowledge the contributions of the party’s national leadership, specifically extending appreciation to National Leader Distinguished Senator Seriake Dickson; National Chairman Senator Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe; National Secretary Barr. Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu and South East National Vice Chairman Chief Teddy Obey for their guidance and support in delivering a seamless congress.
He also paid tribute to his predecessor, outgoing chairman Engr. Obetta, crediting him for building the foundations upon which the new executive will look to build. With characteristic confidence, Anih assured party faithful that under his watch, the NDC would record electoral victories in Enugu State, a bold declaration that will now serve as a benchmark against which his tenure will inevitably be measured.
Beyond the top two positions, the congress produced a full slate of elected officials to round out the state executive. Mrs. Florence Anigbo was elected Women Leader, while Hon. Clinton Ogbonna takes on the Youth Leader portfolio—appointments that suggest the party is mindful of the need to reflect the diversity of its membership.
The legal directorate will be steered by Barr. Chimezie Nwodo, as legal adviser, was supported by Barr. Michael Ozioko as assistant legal adviser. The party’s public communications will be handled by Mr. Emmanuel Ugwueze as publicity secretary, with Chief Rex Arum serving as his assistant. Mr. Nnejichoke Michael was elected State Treasurer.
Others who emerged from the congress include Mrs. Chioma Agbo, Hon. John Onovo, Engr. Samuel Ugochukwu, Mrs. Olivia Okenyi, Kingsley Onochie, Barr. S. N. Egbo, Chief Austin Anih, and Dr. Emmanuel Agbo, among additional executives, round out the 29-member body.
Reports indicate that a group of thugs descended on the venue following the conclusion of proceedings. While their presence ultimately had no impact on the outcome of the congress, which had already been brought to an orderly close, the incident serves as a sobering reminder of the security challenges that continue to shadow political gatherings in Nigeria.
Party officials have not yet issued a formal statement on the matter, but the timing of the disruption, arriving only after the congress had concluded, may well have been a calculated, if futile, attempt at intimidation.
For the NDC in Enugu State, Monday’s congress marks the beginning of what its new leadership has framed as a mission of renewal and expansion. In a state where the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has historically commanded significant dominance, the party faces a steep but not impossible climb.
With a chairman who has tested the waters of electoral politics under a different banner and a secretary seasoned in the administrative machinery of yet another rival party, the NDC’s new leadership brings with it a combination of experience, cross-party insight, and—if their words are to be taken seriously—a genuine hunger to shake up Enugu’s political order.
Whether that ambition will translate into results at the polls remains to be seen. For now, the party has its team. The clock has started.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has elected new state executives in Enugu, headlined by Dr. Anih Johnpaul as chairman and Dr. Sebastine Okafor as secretary, both figures with notable histories in rival parties, the Labour Party and APC, respectively.
The congress proceeded peacefully through consensus, with outgoing officials charging the new leadership to prioritize unity, transparency, and grassroots mobilization. Dr. Anih pledged to build the NDC into a credible political alternative in Enugu State.
