By: Mandy Park
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has announced the modalities and operational guidelines for its forthcoming party primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections, assuring members of a transparent and inclusive process across the federation.
In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, the NDC said the decision followed extensive consultations involving the party leadership, the National Working Committee (NWC), the Selection Committee, and other stakeholders.
According to the statement, the report of the Screening Committee chaired by former Ebonyi State governor, Sam Egwu, has been formally received and adopted by the party leadership.
The meeting was attended by the National Chairman of the party, presidential aspirant Peter Obi, and other senior party officials.
The party said the meeting reviewed both the outcome of the screening exercise and the framework for the conduct of the primaries.
“The NDC commends the Screening Committee for its diligence, professionalism, and sacrifice throughout the rigorous screening process, which lasted nearly one week and involved a large number of aspirants across the country,” the statement said.
The party also expressed appreciation to aspirants and supporters for identifying with its platform and contributing to its expansion nationwide.
Under the approved guidelines, all aspirants who purchased Expression of Interest Forms will be allowed to participate in the primaries in their respective constituencies.
The party explained that successful aspirants emerging from the exercise would subsequently proceed to the National Secretariat for documentation, payment of nomination fees, and completion of other nomination procedures.
To ensure smooth conduct of the exercise, the NDC disclosed that it had constituted and deployed primary election teams comprising senior officials and experienced party administrators to all states of the federation.
The teams, according to the statement, will supervise the primaries in collaboration with local party leaders and stakeholders.
The party further explained that primaries for State Houses of Assembly would be conducted through direct primaries at the constituency level, while affirmations and primaries for House of Representatives, Senate, governorship, and presidential positions would take place at various local government headquarters nationwide.
Final results, the party added, would be announced at the National Secretariat by the Selection Committee and the National Executive Committee (NEC).
The NDC also encouraged consensus arrangements where necessary to promote internal harmony, party unity, and democratic stability.
Reaffirming its commitment to inclusion, the party urged greater participation of women and youths in the electoral process, while advising delegates and officials to support aspirants with strong grassroots acceptance and proven electoral value.
The opposition party also warned against violence, intimidation, and any form of misconduct during the primaries, stressing that strict disciplinary actions would be taken against anyone found undermining the credibility of the exercise.
An Appeal Panel, the party said, would also be inaugurated to address complaints and grievances arising from the conduct of the primaries.
The NDC acknowledged that the exercise would be conducted under tight timelines, making it impossible to fully implement the electronic voting and collation system initially proposed for the process.
However, the party assured members that future primaries would be fully digitised in line with its commitment to transparency, accountability, and modern democratic standards.
“The current exercise will be the last manual primary election conducted by the NDC,” the statement added.
The party subsequently called on aspirants, stakeholders, security agencies, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cooperate in ensuring peaceful, credible, and successful primaries across the country.
The NDC said it remains committed to building a strong democratic institution capable of advancing nation-building and serving the long-term interests of Nigerians beyond individual political ambitions.
