As members of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, elect candidates across the various positions, there is apprehension in the camp of some of the aspirants in Enugu State after the party disclosed that it would stick to the membership register submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
DAILY POST learnt that during a meeting with the aspirants late Thursday night, the Primary Election Committee confirmed that the register submitted to the INEC will be the yardstick for the exercise.
It could be recalled that the NDC had on May 6 submitted its membership register to the INEC in order to beat the May 10 deadline earlier set by the electoral umpire.
However, hours to the take-off of the primary, some of the aspirants who decamped to the party, especially after they lost out in the All Progressives Congress, APC, game, are said to be in a state of confusion.
A former member of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Pat Asadu, who is vying for Enugu North Senatorial zone ticket, and a former chairman of Nsukka Local Government Area, Hon Tony Ugwu, who is seeking the Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South Federal Constituency ticket, are among the last-minute defectors.
Asadu had on May 9 posted that he had resigned from the APC, whereas for Ugwu, his resignation only became public knowledge sometime in May 20.
“At the briefing on Thursday night, we were told that the digital register submitted to the INEC on May 6 will be used for the election.
“So, for now, we don’t know those who are even actually qualified as aspirants for the election. If they are using the membership register submitted to the INEC, it means that all those who joined after May 6 are not qualified,” one of the aspirants said.
Amid the confusion, one of the NDC aspirants for the Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South Federal Constituency, Obeta Davidwilliams has added another twist to the controversies, crying out that there was no venue in sight for the primary election.
In a post on his Facebook Page on Friday, he wrote: “The events surrounding the proposed NDC primary election have become increasingly confusing and deeply concerning. Since the process began, several venues have been announced, only for each to prove either inaccessible or completely unaware of any planned primary election.
“The first venue communicated to aspirants and stakeholders was Amaeze Ani. Upon arrival, the location was found to be locked and inaccessible. Subsequently, information emerged yesterday evening that the venue had been changed to STC. However, on getting there today, officials of the institution categorically stated that they had no knowledge of any primary election and that the school had neither been informed nor approved for such an exercise.
“Thereafter, another communication suggested that the venue had been moved to the Catholic Cathedral. Yet, upon inquiry at the Cathedral, officials equally denied any knowledge of a primary election scheduled to take place there.
“As of almost 10:00 a.m., none of the aspirants, stakeholders, or interested participants have been officially informed of the actual location where this crucial exercise is expected to hold. This level of uncertainty raises serious questions about transparency, organization, and fairness in the conduct of the process.
“A primary election is a fundamental democratic exercise that should be conducted in a manner that inspires confidence among all participants.
“Every aspirant must be adequately informed, every stakeholder must have equal access to the process, and the venue must be clearly communicated well in advance. Anything short of this risks creating unnecessary suspicion and undermining the credibility of the outcome.
“At this moment, we are still awaiting clear and official information regarding the venue of the NDC primary election. The integrity of the process demands nothing less.”
