The leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has put a lie to insinuations that its recently concluded presidential, National Assembly, Governorship and State Houses of Assembly primaries were fraught with irregularities and alleged imposition of candidates.
In a statement released to the press late Thursday, the NDC said the wrong narrative about its otherwise overwhelmingly successful primary elections nationwide was largely informed by both ignorance of the new party’s constitution and established guidelines, and outright mischief by those, who are intimidated by NDC’s fast- rising profile.
The statement, signed by Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu Esq, the party’s National Secretary, said the NDC should rather be commended for the innovative way it carried out its primaries nationwide, pointing out that there was a huge emphasis on pre-election consensus building to reduce areas of rancour and disagreement
Titled Understanding the Just Concluded NDC Primary Elections, the read in part.
“The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), the fastest-growing political party in Nigeria, is founded on the principles of leadership, consultation, inclusiveness, and consensus-building”.
Enekweizu cited the specific instance of the South East, from where a lot of the misrepresentations have come, saying the NDC approach proved particularly commendable.
“In the South-East geopolitical zone, our presidential candidate, His Excellency Peter Obi, came into the party with an established leadership structure comprising respected elder statesmen and political leaders who serve as caucus heads in their respective States.
The caucus leaders are:
* Abia State – Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, respected veteran journalist and former Chairman of the NDDC Board.
* Ebonyi State – His Excellency Dr. Sam Egwu, former Ebonyi State Governor, former Minister, and former Senator.
* Enugu State – His Excellency Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, former Enugu Governor, former National Secretary of PDP, and former National Chairman of the PDP.
* Imo State – His Excellency Chief Achike Udenwa, former Governor and former Minister.
* Anambra State – Since His Excellency Peter Obi is our presidential candidate, his team coordinates the process in his home state, Anambra.”
The NDC scribe explained that these leaders were entrusted with conducting stakeholder consultations, consensus building, and making recommendations to the party based on their understanding of the peculiar political dynamics in their respective states.
“In addition, each State has recognised stakeholders and grassroots leaders who participate in consultations and make recommendations regarding party affairs”.
Enekweizu said: “This process was conducted without prejudice to the rights of any aspirant. Where aspirants disagreed with recommendations made by stakeholders or caucus leaders, they were free to test their popularity through the democratic process at the grassroots level, and this was duly accommodated.
“At no time has the NDC National Secretariat been involved in the business of picking, choosing, or imposing candidates on any constituency or State. Every aspirant who approached the party was received, attended to, and directed to engage with the appropriate caucus leaders, stakeholders, and grassroots members of the party in their respective states”.
The statement further added:
“In line with its affirmative action policy, the party has demonstrated a commitment to encouraging and supporting female participation in elective office and has done so in some cases. The party has also expressed an interest in protecting and supporting serving members of parliament.
“Beyond these considerations, all aspirants were referred to their State caucus leaders and all those who bought Expression of Interest Forms were asked to go into the field and participate in the primaries. We are aware of reports of some aspirants prematurely declaring themselves as candidates, as well as complaints raised by others regarding aspects of the process.
“These issues have been brought to the attention of the Appeals Panel and the leadership of the party and have been addressed accordingly.
“As resolved at yesterday’s NEC meeting, we now look forward to the commencement of a comprehensive reconciliation process. We count on our esteemed Caucus Leaders, State chairmen, stakeholders, and party leaders to engage all aspirants and members in the interest of unity, cohesion, and the continued growth of our party.
“For this reason, throughout the past several months, whenever aspirants or stakeholders approached the party regarding elective positions, we consistently referred them to their respective State Caucus Leaders. Likewise, those with concerns or grievances were advised to channel such matters through their caucuses for resolution.”
The NDC Secretary said the party’s role during this period has been “to receive new members and prospective aspirants into the NDC, welcome them to the party, reassure them of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and inclusiveness, and direct them to engage with their respective Caucus Leaders for guidance and participation in the process.”
He said, “This approach reflects our unwavering commitment to consultation, respect for established leadership structures, internal democracy, and the collective pursuit of unity and progress within the party.”
The NDC which formally received its certificate of registration on 5 February 2026, has within 90 days, been able to put in place much of the constitutional party structures from the Ward to the national levels, held two National Executive Committee meetings and organised a nationwide presidential, National Assembly, Governorship, and State Assembly primaries.
It is said to now be the second largest party in the country, by virtue of its representation at the National Assembly.
