The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Plateau State is embroiled in a dispute over the outcome of its recent governorship substitution primary. The party's national leadership has declared Da Jonathan Sunday Akuns as the winner, while a separate exercise was reportedly conducted at the state level. This development has created uncertainty over the NDC's governorship ticket in Plateau State ahead of the 2027 election. The national leadership's primary was conducted by Oluwole Adedapo, the party's National Auditor.
According to Adedapo, Akuns emerged unopposed in the primary. He claimed that on arrival in Jos, he paid a courtesy visit to the party's state executive committee and explained the purpose of his assignment. A stakeholders' meeting was later held at a larger venue due to space constraints. However, the meeting was disrupted when some persons claiming to be operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) asked Adedapo to accompany them. Party members present declined the request, citing the legitimacy of the gathering.
Adedapo alleged that the state chairman, Solomon Ndam Yakubu, opposed the exercise and proceeded with a separate meeting involving chairmen of seven local government areas. He maintained that the responsibility for conducting governorship primaries rested with the national leadership of the party. The NDC's records showed that Akuns was the only aspirant who purchased the expression of interest and nomination forms and was successfully screened.
However, a party stakeholder, Abdullahi Iliya, alleged that Ndam subsequently forwarded the name of Alfred Dapal Damiyal to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the separate exercise. Iliya claimed that Damiyal had previously contested the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary in Plateau State. The authenticity of this claim could not be verified with available information.
Ndam denied wrongdoing and claimed that he was not aware of any dispute over the NDC governorship ticket. He stated that INEC monitored the exercise and compiled its report. The NDC National Secretary, Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu, said the party had forwarded Akuns' name to INEC as its nominee for the Plateau governorship election.
Enekweizu emphasized that it would be unusual for INEC to accept a communication concerning the party's governorship candidate that was not endorsed by the appropriate national officers. He added that if INEC acted on any name different from the one submitted by the national leadership, the party would seek clarification and pursue appropriate legal remedies.
The latest dispute has created uncertainty over the NDC's governorship ticket in Plateau State, with the national leadership insisting that Akuns is its duly nominated candidate. The competing claims could ultimately require clarification by the party and the electoral authorities as preparations intensify for the 2027 governorship election.
Key points
- The NDC national leadership has declared Da Jonathan Sunday Akuns as the winner of its governorship substitution primary.
- A separate primary exercise was reportedly conducted at the state level, resulting in a different candidate being forwarded to INEC.
- The party may seek legal remedies if INEC acts on a name different from the one submitted by the national leadership.
