The Nigeria Democratic Congress has launched a reconciliation drive to mend relationships fractured by last weekend's primary elections, the party announced on Friday.
The move came after the party's second National Executive Committee meeting, called specifically to address complaints from aspirants who lost out in the presidential, governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly contests. Some had accused the party of rigging, manipulating results and imposing candidates.
National Secretary Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu defended the primaries in a statement, saying claims of irregularities were false and often stemmed from misunderstanding the party's constitution. He said aspirants unhappy with recommendations from caucus leaders could still test their popularity at the grassroots.
For the South-East, the NDC named Chief Onyema Ugochukwu (Abia), former Governor Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), former Governor Okwesilieze Nwodo (Enugu) and former Governor Achike Udenwa (Imo) as the caucus leaders who coordinated consultations. Peter Obi's political structure handled Anambra.
Enekweizu said the National Secretariat had never picked or imposed candidates on any constituency or state. All aspirants were directed to engage with caucus leaders, stakeholders and grassroots members in their areas without bias, he said.
The party also defended its affirmative action policy promoting women's participation in elections and its support for sitting lawmakers seeking re-election. Reports of aspirants claiming candidacy prematurely and other process complaints have been sent to the party's Appeal Panel and leadership.
Enekweizu described the consensus-building approach as reflecting the NDC's commitment to consultation, internal democracy and collective progress. The party said throughout the nomination process, aspirants and stakeholders were consistently referred to state caucus leaders for guidance and dispute resolution.
The NDC pledged to welcome new members and reassure them of its commitment to fairness, transparency and inclusiveness while directing them to engage with established leadership structures. State chairmen, caucus leaders and stakeholders will now engage all aspirants and members to rebuild unity ahead of elections.
