Activist and prominent political figure Aisha Yesufu has leveled serious allegations of manipulation against the National Democratic Congress (NDC), claiming the party subverted internal democracy during its Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Senatorial primary.
Yesufu, a key ally of the “Obidient” movement who defected from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) earlier this year, alleged that the process was engineered to favor a specific candidate, effectively shutting her out of the contest.
The activist’s outcry follows the emergence of Amanda Pam as the party’s choice for the FCT Senate seat. Reports indicate that the NDC opted not to hold a competitive primary, a move Yesufu described as a violation of both party guidelines and the Electoral Act.
**‘Advocacy in Politics’**
In a scathing post-primary statement, Yesufu insisted that while she understood the “toxic” nature of Nigerian politics, she refused to compromise her core values for a ticket.
“I knew that values-based candidates do not easily emerge by merit in a system built to resist them,” Yesufu stated. “But I made a decision going in: I would not compromise my values. I did not leave advocacy to go into politics; I took advocacy into politics.”
**Allegations of Shifting Goalposts**
Yesufu detailed a series of eleventh-hour changes designed to obscure the selection process. She claimed the party abandoned the promised direct primary—which would have allowed grassroots members to vote at Local Government headquarters—in favor of a delegate-based system held in a central, restricted location.
“What was billed as a primary was, in truth, a predetermined outcome dressed in procedural formalities,” she alleged. “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.”
**No Legal Challenge**
Despite her grievances, the activist announced she would not be filing a formal petition or engaging in a protracted legal battle. She characterized the party’s grievance mechanisms as being “designed to wear people down.”
“I ran to win. But when the process was subverted, I chose instead to extract every lesson this experience had to offer,” she said, adding that she now understands the “architecture of the system” better than any outside observer.
**Eye on 2027**
Despite the friction, Yesufu clarified that her criticism was specific to the FCT senatorial process and did not represent a total break from the NDC. She reaffirmed her support for the party at the national level, citing its role as the platform for her preferred presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections.
“Despite its shortcomings, the NDC remains the only party that has given the best presidential candidate in the 2027 electoral cycle a platform to run,” she concluded.
As of the time of publication, the NDC leadership has not officially responded to Yesufu’s allegations regarding the FCT primary.
