Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Senator Victor Umeh has dismissed allegations that the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, influenced the choice of candidates for legislative and other elective positions in the party. Umeh, who represents Anambra Central Senatorial District, made the clarification during an interview published by Arise TV on Monday, June 15, 2026.
The senator said the surge in the number of persons seeking to contest elections under the NDC’s platform was a natural consequence of the party’s growing popularity following the entry of Obi and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. He argued that those who failed to secure tickets were now crying foul and attempting to blackmail the party leadership. “Just because Obi and Kwankwaso entered the NDC, the party witnessed a surge of people who wanted to contest for one thing or another. Those claiming they were extorted were trying to cheat and had their fingers burnt,” Umeh said.
The NDC has consistently denied allegations of irregularities and candidate imposition. In a statement issued on June 5, 2026, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said: “At no time has the NDC National Secretariat been involved in the business of picking, choosing, or imposing candidates on any constituency or state.” The party noted that in the South‑East geopolitical zone, Obi joined the party with an existing network of respected caucus heads in their respective states.
Umeh’s intervention comes after Kenneth Okonkwo, a former spokesperson of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council and now a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), alleged in a television interview on June 8, 2026, that Obi and leaders of the NDC South‑East caucus extorted money from aspirants. Obi’s legal team subsequently issued a pre‑litigation letter demanding ₦5 billion in damages and a public apology from Okonkwo.
Umeh, who was one of the earliest prominent politicians to join Obi in the NDC after both men left the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in May 2026, insisted that Obi’s role in the party is strictly that of a presidential standard‑bearer and that he has not interfered in the party’s internal nomination processes.
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