Ex-Lagos Commissioner Emerges South-West Zonal ADC Chairman.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has officially appointed and sworn in former Lagos State Commissioner for Housing, Alhaji Rahman Owokoniran, as its South-West Zonal Chairman.

The swearing-in ceremony, conducted under the authority of the party’s National Chairman, Senator David Mark, also featured the inauguration of Owokoniran’s zonal executive committee.

In a statement made available to journalists, a party chieftain, Coker Onita, dismissed reports of internal discord within the ADC in the South-West, describing them as baseless and intended to mislead party members and the public.

“For clarity, Hon. (Alhaji) Rahman Akanni Owokoniran was today formally inaugurated and sworn in as the South West Zonal Chairman of the ADC by the Deputy National Chairman, Dr Bamidele Ajadi, who is the highest-ranking national officer in the region, with the full endorsement and authority of the National Chairman, Senator David Mark, and the national leadership of the party,” Onita said.

The party also rejected claims that the South-West leadership had been disowned by the national body, insisting that such reports were “entirely false, misleading, and deliberately intended to deceive.”

Onita accused agents and supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to destabilise the ADC in the South-West through misinformation, noting the party’s growing influence and acceptance in the region.

He further dismissed a publication attributed to a group known as the “ADC Lagos State Stakeholders Forum,” describing it as originating from an “unknown and faceless entity” seeking to undermine the party.

He referred to members of the group as “fifth columnists.”

“In a democratic party, anonymous allegations are acts of subversion, not accountability. Those claiming to represent ADC should identify themselves with their positions and mandates,” Onita stated.

The party maintained that while it welcomed constructive debate and lawful engagement, it would resist any attempt at infiltration or misinformation aimed at weakening its leadership structure.

The statement affirmed that the ADC remained united and committed to providing Nigerians with a credible political alternative, stressing that the South-West leadership under Owokoniran is legitimate, recognised and fully supported by the party’s national leadership.