- NDC May God Electronic for future primaries
By Our Reporter
ABUJA — The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has officially cleared the decks for its nationwide primary elections ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The party announced that all aspirants who purchased Expression of Interest forms will be permitted to participate in the internal polls scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, May 28, and Friday, May 29, 2026.
The decision emerged from a grueling, marathon joint meeting of the party’s Selection Committee and the National Working Committee (NWC) which commenced yesterday and stretched into the early hours of Wednesday morning. In attendance were key heavyweights of the party, including the NDC National Chairman, the party’s foremost presidential aspirant, His Excellency Peter Obi, and members of the Selection Committee.
The high-stakes meeting was convened to receive and deliberate upon the comprehensive report of the NDC Screening Committee, which was led by the former Governor of Ebonyi State, His Excellency Sam Egwu.
Addressing journalists at the party’s national headquarters, party leadership expressed deep appreciation to the Sam Egwu-led committee for its painstaking evaluation of thousands of political hopefuls over the last week.
The leadership admitted that the sheer volume of individuals seeking the party’s tickets across the federation far exceeded initial projections.
”We thank the committee for its painstaking work, which lasted almost a week, especially in handling the staggering number of aspirants that far exceeded our expectations,” the statement signed by HSD noted.
“We also thank all the aspirants for their confidence in the NDC, as well as those who made donations to the party and chose our platform to express their political ambitions. Their numbers run into thousands, and we wish them the very best.”
Faced with a massive influx of aspirants and a tight regulatory calendar, the NDC hierarchy opted for an inclusive strategy. Rather than disqualifying aspirants at the screening stage, the party decided that every single person who successfully obtained an Expression of Interest form would be given a level playing field to test their popularity at the grassroots level.
Under the new directives, only candidates who emerge victorious at the primaries will be required to report to the NDC National Secretariat for formal documentation, where they will then pay for and complete their official nomination forms.
Deployment of Teams and Modalities for Voting
To ensure a hitch-free exercise, senior party officials have already been deployed across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to conduct the elections. These central teams are expected to collaborate closely with local stakeholders and leaders to maintain transparency.
The party leadership explicitly urged the monitoring teams to prioritize women, youth, and aspirants with proven electoral capacity, while emphasizing the need for absolute fairness.
The NDC also clarified the dual modalities for the two-day exercise:
Direct Primaries: To be conducted strictly at the constituency level for State House of Assembly positions.
Decentralized Direct Primaries/Affirmations: To be held at the various Local Government Area (LGA) Headquarters for the House of Representatives, Senate, Governorship, and Presidential slots.
Final results are to be collated and officially announced at the party’s National Secretariat by the Selection Committee and the National Executive Committee (NEC). Where possible, the party strongly advocated for the adoption of consensus arrangements to mitigate internal friction.
Adherence to Manual Voting and Warning Against Violence
The party extended an apology to its members over its inability to deploy the digital infrastructure it had spent months developing. Due to severe time constraints, the party was forced to shelve its electronic voting platform for this cycle.
”This will be the last primary election in the NDC to be conducted manually,” the leadership promised, recalling assurances given at a recent dinner with aspirants.
“We understand that the manual process may not be perfect due to time constraints and logistical challenges, and we ask everyone to bear with us. Our intentions are sincere, and future primaries will be conducted electronically to minimize complaints.”
The NDC maintained a stern tone regarding security, declaring a policy of zero tolerance for thuggery, intimidation, or disruptive conduct. It warned that any aspirant or supporter linked to violence would face swift and severe disciplinary actions.
Reaffirming its long-term vision to transform Nigeria’s political landscape, the leadership urged members to remain peaceful and steadfast.
The party emphasized that the NDC is being built as an enduring, modern political institution, rather than a temporary “special-purpose vehicle” tailored to serve individual political interests.
The primary election oversight teams have been directed to work in lockstep with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and state security agencies to guarantee a credible and secure process.
