Former Imo State Governor Emeka Ihedioha has said that the Imo State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has over 200,000 members.

Ihedioha stated this at the state congress of the party held at Nwankwo Kanu Sports Centre in Owerri on Saturday.

He also disclosed that the party will continue its house-to-house mobilisation to ensure that it becomes the party of choice in the state.

This is just as Prof James Okoroma and Hon Gregory Ihejirika were elected as the new Imo State chairman and secretary, respectively.

He said, “According to the chairman of the Electoral Panel, we have over 200,000 registered members of the party in Imo State. Our party is the ADC. We chose the Nwankwo Kanu Sports Centre for this congress to elect the state executive committee that will pilot the affairs of the state party in the next four years. We have already done the same from the boot units, the wards and the LGAs. The delegates should vote according to their conscience; that is our understanding of democracy, government of the people, for the people and by the people. We didn’t hide in any hotel rooms to do the congress. We chose the arena to contain the mammoth members of our party.”

The ex-Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives said, “After this congress, we will continue our house-to-house mobilisation to make ADC the party of choice. By the grace of God, all candidates produced from the party, starting from the House of Assembly, National Assembly and presidential, will contest and win.”

Also, former governor of Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa, expressed happiness, saying that the Imo State chapter of the ADC has been recognised by the National Executive Committee of the party as one of the organised state chapters in the country.

“I am happy because our national executive committee has recognised the Imo state chapter of the ADC as one of the most organised in the country. I want to commend the electoral committee panel led by Mr Ukandu Nkem and his members, Hon Henry Ikpe, Chima Nzeribe and Hon Ike C. Ibe, who have done a wonderful job beginning from the Wards and to the LGAs without rancour. We are welcoming new members from other parties every day. The Imo ADC has, within a short time of its existence, entrenched itself into the politics of the state, and no party has ever done that.”

Prof James Okoroma, who expressed gratitude to the delegates for finding them worthy, said that the party will lay a new foundation for the positive development of the state.

“We are going to lay a new foundation for the development of Imo State. The ADC will bring a new direction in the infrastructural development, human capital development, education, and health care. We will rebuild Imo and make a state of choice for foreign investments that have shunned the state because of the high cost of doing business. ADC will make it safe for our people and our children. Our people will no longer run away from the state,” he said.

Earlier, the chairman of the Electoral Panel, Hon. Ukandu Nkem, disclosed that the congress began on April 9 with the wards and the LGAs. (The Sun)