The internal crisis within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has deepened as a senatorial hopeful, Isaac Nwachukwu, has initiated legal proceedings against the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the Federal High Court in Owerri, Imo State. The lawsuit stems from allegations of unfair treatment during the party’s primary elections for the National Assembly. Through his legal representative, Cajethan Oguzie, Nwachukwu claims the party wrongfully denied him the Imo North senatorial ticket, despite him being selected as a consensus candidate and paying the required N5 million nomination fee.
Further complicating matters, Nwachukwu asserts that he made a substantial N20 million contribution to support the party’s growth, which he paid into an NDC FCMB account. However, he alleges that his contribution was mysteriously reduced to N10 million on the official list of supporters. He also contends that the N20 million he paid was incorrectly assigned to another aspirant, Matthew Omegara, while Omegara’s N10 million was credited to him by the party’s screening committee, which included Sam Egwu and Buba Galadimma.
Despite these irregularities, Nwachukwu participated in and passed the NDC screening exercise, allowing him to proceed to the primary election. He claims his consensus candidacy was ratified, and his name was initially included on the list of candidates for the Imo North Senatorial District. However, he alleges that his name was later replaced with Omegara’s after he had already won the primary. This instance of perceived injustice has prompted legal action.
The court filing outlines specific requests, including a declaration that Nwachukwu is the legitimate consensus candidate for the Imo North Senatorial Zone for the 2027 general election. He is also seeking an order to restrain the NDC from fielding any other candidate in that district. Additionally, he wants INEC to be permanently barred from recognizing or accepting any candidate other than himself for the Imo North senatorial election. Another key demand is for the court to compel the NDC to issue him a certificate of return as its official candidate.
In a supporting affidavit, Nwachukwu details how he purchased the expression of interest form and made the N20 million party support payment. He further claims that the NDC’s national leader, Seriake Dickson, summoned him to a meeting where he was told that his candidacy was jeopardized because a party chieftain from his state claimed not to know him. This chaotic turn of events underscores the internal party struggles leading up to the 2027 elections.