Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A fresh and potentially explosive crisis has engulfed the Abia State chapter of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) as aggrieved aspirants have accused the party leadership of selling House of Representatives and senatorial tickets to the highest bidders ahead of the 2027 general elections. The aspirants, speaking exclusively to SaharaReporters, claimed that the party's primary election process in the state was riddled with irregularities, imposition of candidates and financial inducements, particularly in Abia North Senatorial District. They alleged that the party initially informed aspirants that candidates would emerge through consensus arrangements but later abruptly directed everyone to participate in primary elections scheduled for May 29, 2026, barely 48 hours after issuing the notice. The aggrieved members insisted that no meaningful primaries took place in several parts of the state and that party officials simply announced preferred candidates.
"What is happening in Abia NDC is highly despicable. It is outright imposition of candidates. The party first told us candidates would emerge through consensus, but later directed everyone to prepare for primaries with less than 48 hours' notice," one of the aspirants said. "The so-called primaries were riddled with irregularities. In many local governments, especially in Abia North, there was practically no election". The aspirants specifically accused former member of the House of Representatives for Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, Uko Nkole, of hijacking the party structure in the state and influencing the emergence of candidates. According to them, Nkole allegedly used his influence to secure the Abia North senatorial ticket and determine the outcome of several House of Representatives contests. They further alleged that on the day of the primaries in Arochukwu and Ohafia local government areas, party officials were allegedly taken to Nkole's residence in Abam, Arochukwu Local Government Area, where election results were allegedly prepared. "On the day of the election, Uko Nkole allegedly used soldiers to take NDC officials to his residence in Abam where results were written. There was no genuine election in many places," another source claimed.
The aspirants also accused the Abia State Chairman of the party, Chief Ako Atulomah, of working with a faction allegedly loyal to Nkole. According to them, the state party leadership has become compromised and is allegedly being used to favour candidates with deeper financial resources. "The party structure has been hijacked. The tickets are being allocated to those who can pay the highest amount. Popularity, acceptability and competence no longer matter," one of the sources alleged. The controversy appears most intense in Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, where aspirants alleged that the party plans to hand its ticket to Mr. Ifeanyi Elvis Ogbonna, a candidate they described as relatively unknown politically and allegedly being favoured because of his association with influential figures within the party. The aspirants argued that the decision also violates a longstanding political understanding between Arochukwu and Ohafia local government areas regarding rotational representation in the House of Representatives. They explained that since 1999, both local governments have informally rotated the federal constituency seat in eight-year cycles. According to them, after Arochukwu held the seat between 2015 and 2023 through Uko Nkole, it became Ohafia's turn to complete another eight-year cycle beginning from 2023.
The crisis has been further compounded by allegations from the only female aspirant for the House of Representatives seat for Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency, Barrister Nkasiobi Madumere, who has petitioned the National Chairman of the party over the conduct of the party's primary election. Madumere alleged disenfranchisement, discrimination and other forms of ill-treatment meted out to her during the primaries. According to her, although the result of the purported primaries had yet to be officially announced, she was reliably informed that one Hon. Obinna was returned as winner despite allegedly not participating in the exercise. She claimed that neither the said aspirant nor his representatives or supporters were seen at any of the three local government areas that make up the constituency throughout the duration of the exercise. Madumere noted that she was not only the only female aspirant in the House of Representatives race in her constituency but also the only female aspirant in the South-East under the NDC platform. She stated that no accreditation was conducted for aspirants or supporters before counting allegedly commenced for Senate aspirants, followed by the House of Representatives and House of Assembly categories. She further alleged that some representatives and supporters of absent aspirants at the venue did not possess party membership cards. "After the senatorial counting and that of the House of Representatives aspirants that followed, the so-called delegates counted the representatives and supporters of my co-contenders and wilfully ignored myself and my supporters, who were orderly queued in line," she alleged. Madumere stated in her petition that despite her protests and repeated complaints, she and her supporters were allegedly sidelined and disenfranchised without justification. "Notwithstanding my complaints and protest to be counted with my supporters, I and my group were deliberately ignored, sidelined, relegated and disenfranchised in broad daylight without any justifiable reason," she said. She added that even after reporting the incident to INEC officials, police officers, legal observers and other security personnel at the venue, no action was taken before officials allegedly departed the venue around 6:30 p.m., abruptly ending the exercise.
Further complicating the situation, fresh controversy has erupted within the NDC following the alleged direct submission of a list of candidates from the party's governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly primaries in Abia State to INEC by the Chairman of the Primary Election Committee, Chief Asukewe Ikoawaji. The alleged document showed that Ikoawaji, who chaired the NDC Primary Election Committee for the May 29 primaries in Abia State, wrote directly to the Chairman of INEC through the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, forwarding what he described as the outcome of the exercise. The move has triggered concerns that the action may have bypassed established procedures for the nomination and submission of candidates to the electoral umpire. The National Publicity Secretary of the NDC, Osa Director, said the national leadership was not aware of the development, adding that INEC is duty-bound not to accept any list from any party official other than the National Secretary. Party insiders fear that the direct submission of the primary election outcome by the committee chairman could spark legal and procedural disputes, particularly if the list differs from any eventual submission made by the party's national leadership.
Amid the growing controversy, the NDC national leadership has moved to quell the crisis, firmly denying allegations that party tickets for the 2027 general elections were exchanged for money or imposed through undemocratic arrangements. The party's leadership, led by former Bayelsa State Governor and NDC chieftain, Seriake Dickson, insisted that all candidates emerged through transparent and lawful procedures, dismissing reports of dictatorship and financial inducement in the allocation of tickets. "We did not trade tickets for money," Dickson stated. The party has also commenced a reconciliation process aimed at resolving grievances arising from its primary elections. In a statement issued by the National Secretary, Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu, the NDC rejected the allegations and defended the conduct of the nationwide primaries, describing claims of irregularities and candidate imposition as false and largely driven by a misunderstanding of the party's constitution and guidelines. The party explained that it adopted a consensus-building approach that emphasised stakeholder consultations and internal dialogue to minimise disputes and strengthen party cohesion. According to the statement, aspirants dissatisfied with recommendations made by caucus leaders were free to test their popularity through the democratic process at the grassroots level. "At no time has the NDC National Secretariat been involved in the business of picking, choosing or imposing candidates on any constituency or state," Enekweizu stated.
Despite the criticisms trailing the primaries, NDC leaders insist the party remains united and focused on presenting credible candidates capable of challenging the ruling establishment in the next general election. However, the allegations of ticket-selling and manipulation in Abia State have deepened existing divisions within the party ahead of the 2027 polls, raising questions about internal democracy and the party's ability to present a united front. For now, aggrieved aspirants in Abia are demanding that the national leadership intervene and ensure that the party's primary election process is conducted in a transparent and fair manner. The crisis, if left unresolved, could undermine the party's chances of making significant inroads in Abia State in the 2027 elections.
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