Fresh Crisis Looms in Abia NDC as Primary Election Committee Chair Bypasses Party Leadership, Submits Candidates’ List to INEC

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

A fresh crisis may be brewing within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) following the controversial submission of a list of candidates from the party’s governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly primaries in Abia State directly to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the chairman of the primary election committee, Chief Asukewe Ikoawaji.

The development has stirred concerns among party stakeholders and legal observers, who argue that the action could trigger internal disputes and raise questions about compliance with established procedures governing the nomination and submission of candidates for elections.

Documents obtained by journalists show that Ikoawaji, who chaired the NDC Primary Election Committee for Abia State, wrote directly to the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission through the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Abia State on May 30, 2026, forwarding what he described as the outcome of the party’s primary elections conducted a day earlier.

In a letter titled “The Outcome of the NDC Primary Election in Abia State,” the committee chairman stated that results from all local government areas and constituencies had been collated and finalized at the party’s state headquarters located on Nsukka Street in Umuahia.

According to the letter, the collation process was witnessed by an INEC official identified as Mrs. Chioma, security personnel, members of the election committee and party officials.

“I hereby forward the election result of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Primary Election held on 29/05/2026 in all the Local Government Areas and Constituencies in Abia State and the final collation result at the Party Headquarters, No. 2 Nsukka Street, Umuahia,” the letter stated.

Ikoawaji further informed the electoral commission that the results had been transmitted to the party’s national headquarters in Abuja in line with the party’s constitution. He attached copies of the notification of election committee members, election guidelines and election results, requesting the commission to take the necessary action.

In another correspondence addressed to the REC in Abia State, the committee chairman sought to amend what he described as errors in an earlier list of members of the governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly electoral committee that had been submitted to the commission.

The letter also identified him as the sole electoral and returning officer for the primary elections conducted across the state’s 17 local government areas on May 29, 2026, while indicating that the revised submission superseded all previous lists forwarded to INEC concerning the conduct of the primaries.

The move has generated controversy within the party, with critics maintaining that the authority to formally communicate and submit the names of nominated candidates to INEC rests with the party’s national leadership, particularly the national chairman and national secretary.

Party insiders warned that if the list submitted by the committee chairman differs from any eventual submission by the national leadership, the development could spark legal battles and deepen existing divisions within the NDC ahead of the election season.

Political observers also noted that the incident could test the party’s internal dispute-resolution mechanisms and potentially attract regulatory scrutiny if questions arise over the validity of the nomination process.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the national leadership of the NDC nor INEC had issued an official statement on the matter. Efforts to obtain reactions from key actors involved were unsuccessful.