Yesufu Alleges NDC Manipulated FCT Senate Ticket Process, Says Primary Was Predetermined

Prominent activist Aisha Yesufu has accused the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) of breaching the Electoral Act and undermining democratic principles in the selection of its candidate for the Federal Capital Territory Senate seat.

The allegation followed the party’s decision not to conduct a primary election for the position, bringing Yesufu’s short-lived bid for the ticket to an end.

In a strongly worded statement released Friday, the activist said she entered the race fully aware of the challenges within Nigeria’s political system but refused to abandon her principles.

“I understood what I was getting into. I knew that the quality of our politics has not yet risen to the occasion, that values-based candidates do not easily emerge by merit in a system built to resist them,” she stated.

“But I made a decision going in: I would not compromise my values. I would stand for what is right.”

Yesufu, who joined the NDC from the African Democratic Congress in May, argued that her campaign’s growing popularity altered the course of the selection process.

According to her, the strength of the “SAY-Nation” movement forced the contest away from public scrutiny and into what she described as a closed-door affirmation process.

She alleged that the exercise was never a genuine contest.

“What was billed as a primary was, in truth, a predetermined outcome dressed in procedural formalities,” she said.

The activist further claimed that the process was repeatedly delayed, venues were changed at short notice, and party guidelines were disregarded.

“The delegate-based process was introduced to be conducted at a central location instead of direct primaries at Local Government headquarters,” she said.

“When the moment came, the contest was not decided by delegates in the open; it was affirmed in a closed room, away from the people whose voices it was supposed to reflect.”

Although she questioned the fairness of the exercise, Yesufu said she would not seek redress through a formal petition, choosing instead to draw lessons from the experience.

“I now understand the architecture of the system in ways no textbook, no punditry, no amount of outside observation could ever teach,” she said.

“That knowledge is worth more than any petition I could have filed. I leave this process with something far more valuable than a ticket; I leave with clarity.”

She clarified that her observations were limited to the FCT Senate contest and should not be interpreted as a judgment on party activities in other states.

Despite her concerns, Yesufu expressed continued confidence in the NDC’s broader role in the build-up to the 2027 general election, even as the party had yet to issue an official response to her allegations.

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