Enugu G80 Backs Anih-led NDC Exco, Asks Dickson to Restore Constitutional Order

A coalition of 80 aspirants under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Enugu State, known as the Enugu G80, has formally endorsed the Dr. JohnPaul Anih-led State Executive and appealed to the party's national leadership to restore what it described as constitutional order within the state chapter.

In a letter, on Wednesday, addressed to the National Leader of the NDC, Henry Seriake Dickson, the group said it was speaking on behalf of aspirants from both factions of the party in Enugu State who had resolved to unite behind the Anih-led leadership.

The coalition expressed loyalty to the party's leadership and reaffirmed its support for the party's presidential ticket of Peter Gregory Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

According to the group, the leadership dispute in the Enugu chapter was "entirely artificial" and allegedly orchestrated by individuals seeking to impose their preferred leadership through external political influence rather than democratic processes.

The group maintained that a valid State Congress was conducted on May 4, 2026, under the supervision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), during which Dr. JohnPaul Anih and members of the State Working Committee emerged through what it described as a transparent and constitutionally compliant process.

The coalition alleged that instead of respecting the outcome of the congress, some influential party figures attempted to establish parallel leadership structures, a development it said had prolonged the crisis within the state chapter.

The Enugu G80 argued that the Anih-led executive remained the only leadership produced through a valid congress and the only structure with the legal and democratic mandate to lead the party in the state.

The group further claimed that the executive enjoys widespread grassroots support across Enugu State and is the only INEC-recognised state leadership capable of fielding candidates for the party in the forthcoming local government elections.

Consequently, the coalition announced its unconditional endorsement of the Anih-led executive and said all its members would integrate their political structures into the leadership.

It also rejected any parallel executive committees, describing them as unconstitutional, and urged party members to recognise only the Anih-led administration as the legitimate leadership of the NDC in Enugu State.

As part of its appeal, the coalition urged the national leadership to formally reaffirm Dr. Anih and his State Working Committee as the authentic leadership of the party in Enugu State, halt attempts to establish parallel structures, direct all party organs to engage only with the recognised executive, and harmonise the outcomes of the two factions' primary elections in line with electoral laws and the party's constitution.

Attached to the statement was an essay titled "Party Supremacy vs. The Ballot: Why Elites Cannot Overrule Valid Congresses Under the Law," in which the group argued that internal party democracy is fundamental to national democracy.

The essay cited the Supreme Court judgment in Amaechi v. INEC (2008) as an example of judicial protection of valid party processes, contending that political parties must respect the outcomes of lawfully conducted congresses and primaries.

The coalition maintained that upholding constitutionally conducted congresses was essential to preserving electoral integrity, strengthening public confidence in political parties, and safeguarding democratic governance.