The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has refuted allegations that it imposed candidates during its recent primary elections across various constituencies.
In a statement released on Thursday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, clarified that all aspirants were received by the party, given attention, and directed to engage with appropriate leaders and grassroots stakeholders in their respective states.
Director emphasized that the NDC operates under an established stakeholder leadership structure that includes caucus heads in every state of the federation. He reiterated the party’s commitment to principles of leadership, consultation, inclusiveness, and consensus-building.
He further stressed the party’s dedication to encouraging women’s participation in elective offices, noting that this has been implemented in several instances. “At no time has the NDC National Secretariat been involved in picking, choosing, or imposing candidates on any constituency or state,” Director stated.
The party acknowledged reports of some aspirants prematurely declaring themselves as candidates and complaints raised concerning certain aspects of the process. According to Director, these issues have been brought to the attention of the appeal panel and party leadership, and have already been addressed.