Title: Kenneth Okonkwo Alleges Extortion of Aspirants During NDC Primaries
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has accused the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) of engaging in fraudulent practices during its recently conducted primary elections, describing the party as “the greatest fraud ever in politics.”
Okonkwo made the allegation while speaking during an interview on Symfoni TV, where he claimed that aspirants who defected from the ADC in Enugu State to the NDC were subjected to financial exploitation during the primaries.
According to him, some aspirants alleged that they were compelled to make additional payments beyond official fees in order to participate in the party’s nomination process.
“I can tell you without mincing words that NDC is the greatest fraud that has ever happened.
“Aspirants in my state who left ADC for the NDC, called to tell me after the primary that those who wanted to be House of Representatives members, after paying their fees, were told they were going to pay a bribe of 10 million naira, and they paid.
“Those who wanted to be senators were told they would pay 20 million naira and they had to pay. And after that, they still collected their money and failed them. These are real aspirants under NDC,” he said.
The allegations add to ongoing political tensions surrounding internal party processes ahead of the 2027 general elections, with increasing scrutiny on how parties conduct their primaries and manage aspirant selection procedures.
The NDC has yet to publicly respond to the claims.
