Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Enugu State chapter of the Nigeria Democratic Congress has been thrown into a deep crisis as a coalition of primary election aspirants has formally rejected the party’s nomination process, alleging widespread irregularities, excessive financial exploitation of aspirants, and the imposition of candidates by a small clique of party leaders. The aggrieved aspirants, drawn from the three senatorial zones of the state, met on Monday, June 15, 2026, in Enugu, where they issued a communiqué outlining their grievances and passed a vote of no confidence on the state party leader, former Governor Okwesilieze Nwodo, and other top executive members.
In a nine-point communiqué signed by more than 30 aspirants, the coalition declared that no valid primary election was conducted anywhere in the state, insisting that neither a direct primary nor any consensus arrangement took place between aspirants and stakeholders as prescribed by the party’s guidelines for the 2027 election primaries and the extant Electoral Act of 2026 (as amended). “The aspirants reject in its entirety the primary election process in Enugu State,” the communiqué stated. “No valid primary election was conducted in Enugu State, as neither a direct primary nor any attempt for consensus arrangement took place between aspirants and stakeholders as prescribed by the party’s guidelines for 2027 election primaries in tandem with extant Electoral Act of 2026.”
The aspirants accused the Nwodo-led leadership of bypassing statutory guidelines and hijacking the party structures, thereby excluding the majority of stakeholders, aspirants, and grassroots members from participating in critical decisions affecting the future of the party. “The aspirants observed with grave concern that a small clique hijacked the party structures and truncated the party primaries in Enugu State, thereby excluding the majority of stakeholders, aspirants, and grassroots members from participating in critical decisions affecting the future of the party,” the communiqué read. They further alleged that Nwodo never convened any meeting with aspirants and stakeholders for consensus-building as required by party regulations and electoral laws. “At no time in the entire primary process did His Excellency, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo meet with aspirants and stakeholders towards a consensus arrangement as stipulated in the party guidelines and extant electoral laws.”
Beyond the procedural violations, the forum raised serious allegations of financial corruption within the state’s nomination process. The aspirants condemned what they described as excessive financial extortion and exploitation of aspirants, alleging that collective spending by aspirants exceeded N1 billion in pursuit of tickets that were ultimately allocated through manipulation rather than a transparent process. “The Forum of Aspirants highly condemn the excessive financial extortion and exploitation of aspirants within the party in Enugu State,” the communiqué stated. “The entire nomination process is lacking in transparency, accountability and shrouded in manipulation, irregularities and conduct inconsistent with the values and principles upon which the party was founded.” The coalition warned that the complete absence of transparency, coupled with blatant manipulation by state party handlers, had already begun triggering a massive wave of voluntary defections. “Good members of our great party are joining other parties in droves because of apparent injustice, lack of equity and lack of direction at the Enugu West NDC,” the group said.
Consequently, the aspirants passed a vote of no confidence on several state party figures, including Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Mathias Omeh, Major-General Fidelis Azinta (rtd), and Mr. John Nwokeabia, citing high-handedness, gross abuse of trust, partiality, lack of accountability, and actions allegedly detrimental to the party’s electoral prospects. They also accused the leaders of promoting aspirants who lacked the capacity to win elections while sidelining more credible contenders. The forum demanded that the National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, alongside the party’s presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, and his running mate, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, immediately discard any list of candidates forwarded by the Nwodo faction. They further urged the National Working Committee to urgently intervene by setting up an independent committee to supervise the activities of the party in Enugu State and ensure that credible candidates emerge in strict adherence to party guidelines and electoral laws.
The dispute has been brewing for weeks. A lawyer in Enugu State, Aroh Dominic, had earlier warned the national leadership against announcing candidates for elective positions in the state, citing alleged irregularities in the primary elections. In a letter addressed to the National Chairman of the party on behalf of an NDC member, Idoko Chidozie, Aroh alleged that no primary election was conducted in Nsukka and Igbo-Eze South Local Government Areas for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate and governorship positions. He stated that party members gathered at designated venues but no party officials arrived to conduct the exercise, and that any attempt by the party to announce candidates for the affected positions would be challenged in court. In another development, Dr. SKC Ogbonnia, a senatorial aspirant for the Enugu West District, formally called on Senator Dickson to intervene and resolve the primary election dispute in the zone, urging strict compliance with the Electoral Act 2026 during the party’s nomination review process.
The crisis in Enugu is part of a broader pattern of discontent within the NDC following its nationwide primaries held on May 29, 2026. The national leadership had earlier disowned unverified online results circulating on social media, insisting that only the party’s National Executive Council is authorised to announce the outcome of the exercise. However, the Enugu aspirants have made it clear that they will not accept any list of candidates produced by the current state leadership, warning that the absence of transparency and the manipulation of the process are driving members away from the party. Despite their grievances, the aspirants reaffirmed their loyalty to the national leadership and expressed commitment to internal democracy and the party’s success in the 2027 general elections. The ball is now in the court of Senator Dickson, Peter Obi, and the National Working Committee to resolve the crisis and restore confidence among aggrieved members before the party’s electoral fortunes in Enugu State are irreparably damaged.
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