A former member of the National Assembly and cleric, Senator Uche Nwole, has accused influential figures within the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) of undermining internal democracy in Imo State, alleging that the party’s primary election process was compromised and manipulated.
Addressing journalists, Senator Nwole said he was compelled to return to active politics out of concern for Nigeria’s future and the need to protect democratic values within political parties.
The former lawmaker, who described himself as a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a long-time advocate of democratic governance, said Nigeria’s political system is increasingly drifting away from the ideals of government by the people.
According to him, democracy should empower citizens to freely choose their leaders, but recent developments within political parties have raised concerns about transparency and accountability.
Senator Nwole said he joined the NDC because of its vision, manifesto and leadership, expressing confidence in the party’s presidential candidate, Dr. Peter Obi, and its broader mission of national renewal.
However, he alleged that the integrity of the party was being threatened by individuals seeking to impose candidates and control party structures for personal political interests.
The former senator specifically alleged that a panel sent by the party headquarters to supervise primary elections in Imo State was hijacked and prevented from carrying out its assignment.
According to him, the panel, led by Chief Babatunde Are, was allegedly taken under the influence of a prominent party stakeholder, resulting in the failure of the official primary election process.
He claimed that while aspirants and party supporters mobilized across wards and local government areas in preparation for the exercise, the supervisory panel failed to appear at designated venues.
Senator Nwole further alleged that local government party executives were left with no option but to conduct and collate the primaries themselves before forwarding the results through established party channels.
He expressed concern that the results generated through the process were reportedly rejected at the national level in favour of what he described as “parallel results.”
The former lawmaker questioned what he termed the growing influence of a single individual over the affairs of the party in Imo State, warning that such developments could damage the party’s credibility and electoral prospects.
“We cannot allow democracy to be hijacked by any individual. Political parties must remain institutions governed by rules and collective decisions, not personal interests,” he stated.
Senator Nwole said he and other aspirants have formally petitioned the national leadership of the party, seeking clarification on the status of the Imo State party structure and the legitimacy of the primary election results.
Among other demands, he called on the party leadership to investigate the conduct of the primaries, determine whether due process was followed and ensure that justice is done for all aspirants.
He also urged the party’s national leadership to act swiftly in resolving the dispute, warning that failure to address the issues could undermine public confidence in the party’s commitment to internal democracy.
The former senator maintained that his intervention was aimed at strengthening the party and preserving what he described as the hope many Nigerians have invested in the movement.
He called on party leaders to place fairness, transparency and justice above personal interests, insisting that only a credible and democratic process can inspire confidence among party members and the electorate.
The NDC leadership had yet to officially respond to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
By Georgina Humphrey
