Sam Amadi, the former chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), has voiced strong disapproval of the primary elections conducted by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). In a scathing assessment shared via X on Thursday, Amadi characterized the NDC’s internal polls as deeply flawed and tainted by widespread manipulation.
According to Amadi, the NDC’s primaries were the least credible among the three major political parties that recently held internal elections in preparation for the 2027 general elections. He noted that while the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) also conducted problematic primaries, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) fared relatively better in terms of organization, though it was not without its own irregularities.
Amadi ranked the parties based on organizational efficiency, placing the ADC first, the APC second, and the NDC last. Despite this ranking, he emphasized that all three parties presided over primaries that were extensively rigged. He argued that achieving truly free and fair primaries is almost impossible under the current political climate and with the constrained timeframes available.
Amadi suggested that the NDC’s shortcomings might be partly excused by the limited time it had to prepare for the elections. However, he called on the party to significantly improve its processes if it hopes to be recognized as Nigeria’s primary opposition force. He pointed out that many participants in Nigerian politics are driven by greed and poverty, which exacerbates the challenges of conducting credible internal elections.