By Taiwo Scholarstica
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has rejected claims that its recent primaries for Presidential, Governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly positions were unfair or involved the imposition of candidates.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, the party’s National Secretary, Morgan Enekweizu, said the allegations were based on a misunderstanding of the party’s rules and processes.
He explained that the NDC used consultations and consensus among party leaders and stakeholders to select candidates and reduce conflicts within the party.
Enekweizu said that in the South-East, respected political leaders were given the responsibility of consulting party members and recommending candidates based on the situation in their states. However, he stressed that any aspirant who disagreed with such recommendations was allowed to contest through the party’s democratic process.
According to him, the NDC national leadership did not handpick or impose candidates on any state or constituency. He said all aspirants were encouraged to engage with party leaders and members at the grassroots level.
The party scribe also noted that the NDC’s affirmative action policy helped increase the participation of women in politics while supporting serving lawmakers.
He said complaints arising from the primaries had been considered by the party’s Appeal Panel and leadership, adding that a reconciliation process would soon begin to unite members.
Enekweizu maintained that the party remained committed to fairness, transparency, internal democracy and unity as it continues to expand across the country.