The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has directed its aspirants to pursue consensus arrangements across various constituencies, warning that the movement will not tolerate transactional politics.
This was a strategic bid to mitigate internal friction ahead of the party’s upcoming primary elections.
The directive was issued by the NDC National Leader, Seriake Dickson, during a high-profile dinner meeting in Abuja held for the party’s Governorship and National Assembly aspirants.
The gathering was attended by the party’s presidential aspirant, Peter Obi, while co-leader Rabiu Kwankwaso was unavoidably absent due to pressing party engagements in Kano State.
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Reflecting on the party’s rapid ascension in the political landscape, Dickson noted that despite early scepticism from observers, the NDC has transformed into the country’s fastest-growing political movement and its most cohesive opposition platform within a few months.
Consensus To preserve this momentum, Dickson emphasised that consensus remains the party’s preferred vehicle for candidate selection due to the tight electoral timeline.
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“Because of the shortness of time ahead of the elections, the party strongly encourages consensus arrangements among aspirants wherever possible to minimise rancour and strengthen unity within the party”, Dickson stated.
“However, where consensus cannot be achieved, the party will proceed with democratic primaries in line with its constitution and guidelines.”
The National Leader lauded the rigorous vetting process executed over the past week by the National Screening Committee, which was led by former Governor and Minister, Sam Egwu.
Dickson clarified that the newly empanelled Selection Committee, headed by the NDC National Chairman, is designed to institutionalise credibility and strategic planning rather than rely on arbitrary executive decisions.
The committee is mandated to review Egwu’s screening reports, consult local stakeholders, and balance aspirant competence with regional political dynamics.
Recognising the anxieties inherent in political contests, Dickson reminded the aspirants that while only one individual can secure a ticket for any given office, the party will reward loyalty.
“The NDC is being built as an ideological and enduring political institution, comparable to successful long-standing political movements around the world, and not as a temporary platform for opportunistic and transactional politics”, Dickson affirmed.
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Electronic voting
To ensure long-term institutional memory, the National Leader disclosed that the NDC is compiling a comprehensive database of all aspirants and financial donors.
These individuals are slated to be integrated directly into the impending presidential campaign structure and other core strategic committees.
Looking toward future electoral cycles, Dickson announced a major policy shift regarding the party’s internal operations, guaranteeing that the current manual voting process would soon be obsolete.
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“This would be the last primary election conducted through the largely manual process currently in use due to time constraints,” Dickson revealed.
He stated that the party has already initiated structural work to introduce modern electronic voting systems to guarantee flawless transparency and efficiency in future elections.
