2027: Enugu NDC aspirants reject primaries
June 17, 2026 12:01 am
By Raphael Ede
The political atmosphere in the Enugu State chapter of the Nigeria Democratic Congress has fractured ahead of the 2027 general elections.
A coalition of the party’s primary election contenders has unequivocally rejected the internal nomination process, citing flagrant breaches of the newly enacted Electoral Act 2026 (as amended) and the party’s guidelines.
The aggrieved politicians formalised their grievances on Monday, June 15, 2026, during an emergency cross-zonal session in Enugu, where they collectively passed “a vote of no confidence” on the state party leader and former Governor Okwesilieze Nwodo, alongside other top state executive members.
In a nine-point communiqué issued at the conclusion of the meeting, the coalition declared that no valid primary elections – either by direct voting or authentic consensus arrangements – took place anywhere across the state’s federating local government areas.
The aspirants stated, “We reject in its entirety the primary election process in Enugu State. 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 (as amended).”
They accused Nwodo-led leadership of bypassing statutory guidelines, adding, “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.
“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,” the communique added.
Beyond technical and statutory violations, the Forum of Aspirants alleged corruption within the state’s nomination process.
The communiqué noted, “The Forum of Aspirants highly condemn the excessive financial extortion and exploitation of aspirants within the party in Enugu State. 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 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.
The group demanded that the National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, and the party’s national figures—including its 2027 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, to ensure that credible candidates emerge from NDC in Enugu State and in strict adherence to the party guidelines for 2027 election primaries and extant electoral laws.”
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