Lagos aspirants petition NDC, allege imposed candidate in reps primary

Three aspirants vying for the House of Representatives seat in Ojo Federal Constituency, Lagos State, under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) have formally petitioned the party's national leadership. They allege that the recent primary election was invalid and that a candidate was imposed on the constituency.

Led by Godwin Ezeoke, the aggrieved aspirants called for the cancellation of the exercise's outcome and the immediate conduct of a fresh primary election. In a petition addressed to the National Chairman and National Secretary, Ezeoke, represented by legal practitioner C.C. Iloabanafo, described the announcement of a winner without a prior election as "unprecedented, unlawful, unconstitutional, undemocratic, and arbitrary."

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unprecedented, unlawful, unconstitutional, undemocratic, and arbitrary.

Ezeoke accused certain party officials, including the chairman and secretary, of disregarding the party's constitution and guidelines by declaring a candidate without holding the primary. He warned that this action could expose the party to legal challenges, damage its reputation, and potentially lead to electoral sanctions. The declaration has reportedly caused widespread dissatisfaction, tension, and distrust among NDC members in the Ojo Federal Constituency.

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There was no election. I only saw people queuing with no electoral officials in sight. When I asked questions, I was ignored.

Another aspirant, Ifeanyi Okparaugo, corroborated the allegations, stating that no electoral officials were present at the scheduled venue. "There was no election. I only saw people queuing with no electoral officials in sight. When I asked questions, I was ignored," he said. Okparaugo also noted the absence of officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the venue. A third aspirant, Ola Ogunlana, similarly insisted that no primary election took place, challenging the party to provide visual evidence if they claimed otherwise.

The aspirants further raised concerns about the credibility of the process, alleging that the venue for the exercise was funded by a fellow aspirant rather than the party. They urged the National Working Committee to nullify the purported results, withdraw recognition from the declared winner, conduct a new primary, and establish an independent panel to investigate the entire exercise. Responding to the petition, the party's spokesperson, Osa Director, stated that a reconciliation committee has been formed to address the dispute and expressed confidence in a swift resolution.

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If they claimed there was a primary, they should provide visual evidence because there was nothing that looked like an election.