A wave of internal revolt has shaken the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) following heated controversy over its recent primaries in Ebonyi State, with more than 11 members of the State Executive Council resigning from the party.
The resignations, which cut across key positions in the party structure, have deepened tensions already trailing the conduct of the primaries held on May 29 across the country.
Those who quit include the Deputy State Chairman, Comrade Okey Idenyi; State Secretary, Barr. Aduma Solomon Chinedu; State Youth Leader, Anthony Nwofe; Deputy Youth Leader, Emenike Daniel Oroke; and the State Welfare Officer, Hon. Ajah Cyril, alongside five Local Government Area chairmen.
In their resignation letters, the former officials accused the party of abandoning internal democracy and allegedly allowing the primaries to be influenced by external political interests, including a former governor of the state.
They further alleged that popular aspirants, including Architect Christian Asaga Nwali, were sidelined in a process they described as compromised and lacking credibility.
According to the aggrieved members, the national leadership of the party failed to act on complaints arising from the exercise, instead prioritising political interests over the will of grassroots members.
“The process that produced the candidates is questionable and corrupt,” one of the letters read, adding that more resignations may follow if the situation remains unaddressed.
In his own resignation letter dated June 21, 2026, Deputy State Chairman, Comrade Okey Idenyi, said he could no longer remain in a party whose internal processes, in his view, had been hijacked and manipulated.
He claimed he had invested personal effort and resources in building the party structure in Ebonyi State but lamented that the primaries were conducted in a manner that undermined transparency and fairness.
Similarly, State Secretary, Barr. Aduma Solomon Chinedu, said he resigned due to what he described as the national leadership’s silence over alleged irregularities in the Ebonyi primaries.
He said the absence of decisive intervention had eroded confidence in the party’s democratic principles and rule of law.
The crisis follows earlier protests by over 1,000 supporters of Architect Christian Asaga Nwali, who stormed the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, demanding transparency over the senatorial primary election.
The supporters accused the party leadership of attempting to manipulate the outcome and called for the immediate release of what they insisted was the authentic result.
As of press time, the NDC leadership had yet to issue an official response to the mass resignation or the allegations surrounding the primaries in Ebonyi State.
