By Ahmed Yusuf, Abuja
A fresh crisis has erupted within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) following allegations of irregularities and manipulation in the party’s primary elections conducted in Imo State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Former member of the House of Representatives, Uche Nwole, has accused influential figures within the party of undermining internal democracy and compromising the integrity of the primary process.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, Nwole, who represented Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Federal Constituency between 1999 and 2003, said he returned to active politics out of concern for Nigeria’s democratic future and the need to uphold transparency within political parties.
The former lawmaker, who described himself as a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said he joined the NDC because of its vision and leadership, expressing confidence in the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
However, he alleged that the party’s primary election process in Imo State was hijacked by powerful interests seeking to impose candidates and dominate party structures.
According to him, a panel sent from the party’s national headquarters to supervise the exercise was allegedly prevented from carrying out its assignment effectively. He claimed that the panel, led by Chief Babatunde Are, failed to properly oversee the primaries, resulting in irregularities.
Nwole further alleged that despite efforts by aspirants to participate in the process, the supervisory panel did not appear at designated venues, forcing local government party officials to conduct and collate results, which were subsequently submitted through official channels.
He claimed that the results generated at the local level were later rejected by the party’s national leadership in favour of what he described as parallel results.
The former lawmaker warned against what he called the growing influence of a single individual within the party’s Imo chapter, saying such developments could damage the NDC’s credibility and electoral prospects ahead of the 2027 elections.
“We cannot allow democracy to be hijacked by any individual. Political parties must remain institutions governed by rules and collective decisions, not personal interests,” he stated.
Nwole disclosed that he and several other aspirants had petitioned the party’s national leadership, demanding a review of the primaries and clarification on the legitimacy of the results announced.
He urged the party leadership to investigate the conduct of the exercise, ensure due process was followed, and address grievances raised by aggrieved aspirants.
According to him, failure to resolve the dispute could erode public confidence in the party’s commitment to internal democracy.
The former lawmaker maintained that his intervention was aimed at strengthening the party and preserving its political relevance ahead of the next general elections.
Excerpts of the petition submitted to the party leadership alleged that no properly supervised primary election was conducted in Imo State, claiming that officials from the national headquarters failed to oversee the exercise as expected.
The petition also called on the NDC leadership to verify allegations of undue control over the party structure in the state and ensure that candidates emerge through a transparent and credible process.
