The Congress of the Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), a group dedicated to promoting Igbo development and heritage, is making headlines with its decision to suspend 11 members for allegedly undermining the foundation’s values.
Speaking at a news conference in Enugu on Wednesday, ADF Chairman Prof. Uzodinma Nwala stated that the suspended members have two weeks to appear before the foundation’s Disciplinary Committee. Those who fail to comply or are found guilty of the charges could face expulsion from the foundation.
The list of suspended members includes notable figures like Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie, and Bishop Obi Onubogu. Nwala accused them of staging unauthorized elections in an attempt to seize control of the ADF.
The controversy intensified when Nwala mentioned that the members held their selection process on the day he was hosting guests at his home in honor of his daughter’s traditional marriage. This action directly contravened the ADF elders’ decision to hold elections on April 11.
The suspended members also allegedly disregarded the Alaigbo Developmental Funds Council’s authority by forming an illegal Election Committee without the council’s consent.
In response, former Acting Secretary Abia Onyeike argued that Nwala lacks the authority to suspend any ADF member, as he is no longer the ADF President since the elections held on April 6, which were endorsed by the Board of Trustees and Elders Committee.
