ABUJA, NIGERIA — Polling expert and former Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr. Sam Amadi, has described the recently concluded primary elections of the National Democratic Coalition (NDC) as a complete embarrassment to the nation’s democratic process.
Amadi’s scathing assessment comes as the NDC faces total internal collapse following the official release of its candidate lists from its Abuja headquarters, which sparked widespread outrage across multiple states.
A Systemic Collapse of Electoral Integrity
Speaking during a live political review program on Arise TV on Friday morning, Amadi stated that the NDC has lost its moral right to criticize the ruling establishment after failing to conduct a transparent internal election. He argued that the party’s process was openly hijacked by non-state actors, rich godfathers, and compromised administrators.
“The NDC primaries were an absolute embarrassment,” Amadi declared. “A party that promised to be an alternative to the status quo cannot be seen validating processes where individuals who did not follow party guidelines or obtain mandatory waivers are sneaked onto the ballot through the backdoor, while real grassroot contestants are violently displaced.”
Amadi noted that the refusal of the party’s leadership to cancel results tainted by violence and hired security forces proves that institutional corruption is not limited to any single political party in Nigeria.
Validating the Outcry of Aisha Yesufu and Anambra Aspirants
Amadi’s critique aligns directly with the public warnings issued by prominent human rights activist Aisha Yesufu, who threatened that the NDC would fail to meet public expectations if the glaring injustices are allowed to stand.
The legal and administrative chaos has hit several state chapters, with the worst manipulation recorded in the Southeast:
- The Anambra Thuggery: Amadi pointed to the heavily documented case in Anambra State where Okonkwo Okom was brazenly robbed of his legitimate victory by armed thugs, an action that the national leadership of the NDC has shockingly continued to protect.
- The Sidelining of Structure: He criticized the handling of veteran politicians like Senator Victor Umeh, whose established structures were bypassed by party bosses to favor handpicked establishment actors.
The Emergency Legal Battle and Window Closures
The internal warfare within the NDC has escalated into a race against time, following the Independent Electoral Commission’s (INEC) firm declaration that any primaries held or altered after the May 30 statutory deadline remain invalid.
With aspirants like Imo State’s Chidi Mike lamenting his ₦1 million daily Abuja lobbying bills while waiting out the administrative gridlock, the party’s legal teams are now trapped. Amadi warned that because the NDC national headquarters hoarded the results past the regulated window to execute backdoor swaps, aggrieved candidates filing emergency injunctions at the Federal High Court might inadvertently trigger a total disqualification of the party from the general election ballot.
