Group Accuses NDC Leadership Of Abandoning Enugu Party Stalwarts

The True Democracy Patriots, a political group, has accused the leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, of abandoning the original stakeholders that built the party before the presidential candidate of the party, Mr Peter Obi, and his running mate, Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso, joined the party from the African Democratic Party, ADC.

The group was reacting to a post by the National Chairman of the party, Senator Serieki Dickson, where he narrated how he built NDC from the scratch. He had thanked Obi and Kwankwaso for their efforts in moving the party to what it has become ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The former Bayelsa State governor had acknowledged the contributions of many Nigerians across political, ethnic and regional divides.

He wrote via his X on Thursday that, “NDC has emerged as the biggest national opposition party in our country. Together we shall continue to defend democracy, deepen our multi-party system, and again build a Bayelsa and a Nigeria founded on justice, freedom, accountability, the rule of law and free and fair elections.”

The group, led by Chief Tony Okpanku, told THE WHISTLER that Dickson’s claims contradicted how he handled the party’s original funders and mobilisers in Enugu State.

“It is contradictory because Dickson actually abandoned the people that built the party with him when NDC was not taken seriously,” Okpanku said. “NDC has been in existence before Obi and Kwankwaso joined the party. There were people that strongly backed the party then, especially in Enugu State. Unfortunately, Dickson forgot them during the party primaries. He did the same in some other states, but we are particular in Enugu State.

“NDC’s founder, convener and financier in the state was denied the party’s ticket for the House of Representatives for Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency. No reason was given by the national hierarchy of the party. Dickson rather chose someone who is not known in the party in Enugu State.”

Okpanku claimed that there was no screening of NDC aspirants ahead of the emergence of the party’s candidates for the 2027 elections.

He further said, “In Enugu North, Enugu West and Enugu East, the party relied on the former governor who allegedly collected money from former aspirants in African Democratic Congress to become the standard-bearers of the party in Enugu State come 2027 instead of relying on the actual party executives and leaders who formed the party in the state.

“This singular act has brought hatred, mistrust and disaffection within NDC in Enugu State. The founding members were relegated to the background. Their abandonment will continue to hunt the party in the state. I can assure you that it will negatively affect the performance of NDC during the forthcoming general elections. It has started because NDC performed poorly during the recent senatorial bye-election for Enugu North senatorial district won by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress.”

Our correspondent reports that NDC, a week ago, released names of its candidates for various elective positions in the state. The list generated reactions as some party faithful claimed that it was the decision of the national leadership of the party, and not the true reflection of the party’s primaries held on May 29th, 2026.