OP-ED BY HON. KENNETH CHIBUOGWU GBANDI, AH 12 Dec. 2025
Across the world today, democracies are grappling with a crisis of confidence. Citizens in both developed and emerging nations are increasingly questioning whether political institutions still belong to the people or whether they have been captured by powerful interests who view public office as a private estate. This global democratic tension is not abstract; it is playing out in real time, including here in Nigeria. And nowhere is this struggle more vivid than in the recent developments within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Delta State.
What many initially dismissed as internal disagreements has now revealed itself to be a defining moment in our political evolution. It is a story of ordinary party members who refused to be spectators in their own political destiny. It is a story of ward chairmen, LGA executives, and grassroots leaders who rejected inducement, intimidation, and the politics of entitlement. It is ultimately a story of a people who insist that leadership must emerge from legitimacy, not from financial muscle or political theatrics.
This moment in Delta reflects a larger truth that is reverberating across continents: the age of transactional politics is losing its grip. Citizens are increasingly unwilling to accept politics as a trade in which loyalty is bought and institutions are manipulated. Instead, we are witnessing a renewed insistence that political leadership must be earned through process, respect, and accountability.
In Delta ADC, an uncomfortable but necessary line has been drawn. No one, no matter their social status, financial resources, or history of political visibility, can impose themselves on a party structure built painstakingly by dedicated members over the years. The attempt to substitute constitutional leadership with a hastily arranged “infrastructure” without the consent or presence of the legitimate state executive was not only a misjudgment; it was a stark reminder of what happens when the privileged underestimate the political maturity of the people they intend to lead.
Buildings do not define political institutions. The people do. Modern politics requires leaders to understand that legitimacy is not conferred by ribbon-cutting ceremonies or by external political alliances, but by the ordinary members who sustain the party. Any attempt to circumvent the party’s constitution, its grassroots structure, or its democratic processes is not simply a violation of internal rules, it is an assault on the integrity of democracy itself.
Equally troubling is the growing pattern, national and international of elites attempting to silence emerging voices. Whether through procedural manipulation, selective enforcement of rules, or subtle coercion, the message is often the same: fall in line or stay out. But Nigeria, like much of the world, is experiencing a generational shift. People, especially the youth, are challenging old hierarchies, demanding respect, and standing up for dignity. The recent viral incident involving a young naval officer and a senior politician did not gain traction because of conflict; it resonated because it reflected a broader awakening: people will no longer bow to arrogance or authority without accountability.
This is the context in which the ADC Delta situation must be understood. What some call a crisis is, in fact, an overdue correction. It is a reaffirmation that political parties must remain platforms of inclusion, not instruments of elite imposition. It is a reminder that constitutional structures cannot be replaced by personal ambition. And it is a message to national leadership within ADC and beyond that political institutions must reflect the will of their members, not the preferences of a privileged few.
The people of Delta have spoken clearly: they stand with legitimacy, not theatrics; with process, not manipulation; with collective leadership, not sole proprietorship politics. Their refusal to be silenced is not an act of rebellion, it is an act of democratic responsibility.
To my colleagues in political leadership across the country, I offer this measured but urgent counsel: listen to your people. Respect your structures. Honour your constitutions. Empower your grassroots. The time when political actors could impose leaders, undermine local autonomy, and expect blind obedience is fading quickly, both in Nigeria and globally. People are awake, informed, and increasingly unwilling to be passengers in their own governance.
The lessons from Delta State are clear. People power still matters. Institutional integrity still matters. Democratic accountability still matters. And in this moment, when citizens everywhere are demanding fairer, more transparent, and more responsive governance, political actors must choose whether they will align with the future or cling to a past that is rapidly losing relevance.
Delta ADC has chosen the future. And history, I believe, will remember this moment not as a conflict, but as a turning point.
Hon. Kenneth Chibuogwu Gbandi is a Nigerian political leader, former senatorial candidate, and long-standing diaspora diplomat known for championing transparent governance, democratic reforms, and citizens’ participation. He previously served as chairman of NIDOE and remains a key voice on diaspora policy, institutional accountability and political development across Nigeria
