Nwachukwu Drags NDC To Court Over Alleged Primary Election Fraud

A senatorial aspirant, Isaac Nwachukwu, has dragged the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) before a Federal High Court Sitting in Owerri, Imo State, over the fallout of the party’s National Assembly primaries held in June.

Naija News reports that in a suit filed by Nwachukwu through his counsel, CJ Oguzie, he disclosed that the party denied him his Imo North Senatorial ticket after he emerged as a consensus candidate and asked him to pay ₦5m for the nomination form.

According to him, he paid ₦20m for the support of the party, but his support was reduced to ₦10m when the list of those who supported the party was published.

Summarily, the suit sought the following reliefs “a declaration that the plaintiff in the suit is the consensus candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress in Imo State with regards to the candidate of the Imo North senatorial zone in the 2027 General election.

“A declaration that the first defendant (Nigeria Democratic Congress) be restrained from fielding another candidate except the plaintiff in the General election into the Imo North senatorial zone as he is the consensus candidate for the said election.

“A declaration that the second defendant (Independent National Electoral Commission) be perpetually restrained from recognizing and accepting the candidacy of another person except the plaintiff in the Imo North senatorial zone election pending the determination of the matter.”

In an affidavit in support of the originating summon, Nwachukwu stated “that I purchased the expression of interest form to aspire for the position of Senate in the Imo North senatorial zone. A copy of my expression of interest form is here by annexed as exhibit IU2.

“That upon the purchase of the expression of interest form, I made a monetary contribution in support of the party’s growth in the tune of ₦20m into the party’s FCMB account number through my solicitor, Cajethan Oguzie. A copy of the receipt of ₦20m is hereby annexed as exhibit 1U3.

“That the first sign of regularity and no complaince with NDC constitution and electoral act came up when the ₦20m I paid for party support was allocated to one of the aspirants for my senatorial district by the name Matthew Omegara and the ₦10m that Matthew Omegara paid for party support was allocated to me by the screening committee headed by his excellent Sam Egwu and Buba Galadimma.

“That in compliance with NDC’s directives, I participated in the NDC screening exercise and was successfully cleared as an aspirant to participate in the primary election.

“That after my consensus candidacy was ratified, my name was shortlisted as a candidate for Imo North district. A copy of the result is hereby annexed as exhibit 1U5.”

He stressed that his name was substituted with Omegara after he had been declared the winner of the primary election.

The Imo North senatorial aspirant disclosed that the National leader of the party, Seriake Dickson, summoned him for a meeting where he told him that a former governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa, complained to him through the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi that he shouldn’t be fielded as the party’s candidate in Imo North senatorial district.

Among other demands, Nwachukwu is asking the court to order the NDC to issue him a certificate as its candidate for the Imo North senatorial district.