NDC Faces Lawsuits and Protests Over Fraudulent Candidate Selection

The Nigeria Democratic Congress is facing internal turmoil across two states following allegations of fraud, fund misallocation, and the imposition of candidates. In Imo State, senatorial aspirant Isaac Nwachukwu filed a lawsuit on June 18 at the Federal High Court in Owerri against the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission. Nwachukwu seeks recognition as the authentic candidate for Imo North, claiming the party unlawfully substituted him after he emerged as the consensus candidate. He alleges that ₦25 million he paid for nomination forms and party support was misallocated to another aspirant.

Simultaneously, aspirants for the Enugu North Senatorial District bye-election have rejected primary results from May 26 and 29. Led by Vincent Ege Obetta and Gideon Agbo, the group accuses the Enugu State caucus leadership of bypassing constitutional guidelines to favor predetermined candidates, including Oscar Ossai. The vacancy in Enugu followed the death of Senator Okey Ezea in November 2025.

The aggrieved Enugu aspirants have vowed to boycott the June 20 bye-election campaigns unless the national leadership voids the results and organizes a transparent process. In Imo, the NDC state spokesperson declined to comment on the litigation, stating he lacked authorization from party leadership.