The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has distanced itself from growing allegations of extortion and financial impropriety surrounding its recently concluded primary elections, insisting that responsibility for candidate selection and stakeholder engagements rested with state caucus leaders rather than the party’s national leadership.
The position, contained in a statement issued on Friday by the party’s National Secretary, Barrister Ikenna Alex-Morgan Enekweizu, comes amid mounting complaints from aggrieved aspirants across several states who have accused party officials and intermediaries of collecting money under the guise of securing nominations and elective positions.
In what critics may interpret as an attempt to absolve the national leadership of responsibility for the controversy, the NDC maintained that all aspirants were consistently directed to engage with caucus leaders and stakeholders in their respective states, stressing that the National Secretariat neither imposed candidates nor directly managed local political processes.
“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.
“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 outlined what the party described as its established stakeholder leadership structure, particularly in the South-East, where former governors and senior political figures were entrusted with overseeing consultations and consensus-building efforts ahead of the primaries.
According to the NDC, these caucus leaders included former NDDC Board Chairman Chief Onyema Ugochukwu in Abia State, former Governor Dr. Sam Egwu in Ebonyi State, former Enugu State Governor Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo in Enugu State, and former Imo State Governor Chief Achike Udenwa in Imo State, while the structure associated with presidential candidate Peter Obi coordinated affairs in Anambra State.
The party argued that the caucus leaders were empowered to manage consultations and make recommendations based on political realities in their respective states.
“These leaders were entrusted with conducting stakeholder consultations, building consensus, and making recommendations to the party based on their understanding of the peculiar political dynamics in their respective states,” the statement said.
The clarification comes at a time when the party is facing growing internal discontent over the conduct of its primaries, with allegations ranging from candidate imposition to financial exploitation and manipulation of nomination processes.
Although the NDC did not directly address specific allegations of money changing hands, it repeatedly emphasized that aspirants were referred to state structures for guidance and participation throughout the exercise.
“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,” Enekweizu stated.
“Likewise, those with concerns or grievances were advised to channel such matters through their caucuses for resolution.”
The party also disclosed that reports of disputes arising from the primaries had been reviewed by an appeal panel and discussed by its leadership.
“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 appeal panel and the leadership of the party and have been addressed accordingly,” the statement added.
Seeking to calm rising tensions, the National Secretary announced that the party had commenced plans for a comprehensive reconciliation exercise aimed at healing divisions and restoring confidence among members.
“As resolved at yesterday’s NEC meeting, we now look forward to the commencement of a comprehensive reconciliation process,” he said.
“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.”
The NDC further defended its approach as one rooted in consultation, inclusiveness, and internal democracy, insisting that its role had largely been to welcome new members, reassure aspirants of fairness, and direct them to the appropriate leadership structures.
“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,” Enekweizu said.
While the statement sought to reinforce confidence in the party’s internal mechanisms, it is likely to fuel further debate over accountability within the NDC, particularly as aggrieved aspirants continue to demand answers over allegations of extortion, disputed nominations and the conduct of the primaries.
For many critics, the party’s insistence that all aspirants dealt primarily with state caucus leaders may raise fresh questions about who bears responsibility for alleged abuses committed during the nomination process and whether the ongoing reconciliation efforts will be enough to stem growing unrest within the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
