Activist Aisha Yesufu has rejected the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, senatorial primary for the FCT, alleging the process was rigged, manipulated, and lacked transparency.
In a statement Friday after the exercise, Yesufu said she did not withdraw or abandon the race but stayed till the end despite what she called a “flawed” process.
—“A predetermined outcome”—
Yesufu accused the party of abandoning its initial plan for direct primaries at LGA level. Instead, she said, NDC switched to a delegate system at a central venue with short-notice changes that caused confusion.
She claimed the result was never decided by delegates:
“What was billed as a primary was, in truth, a predetermined outcome dressed in procedural formalities. When the moment came, the contest was not decided by delegates in the open; it was affirmed in a closed room.”
She argued this undermined fairness, adding that official claims of a “free and fair” process did not match what happened on ground.
—No legal challenge, but new project—
Despite the allegations, Yesufu said she would not pursue legal action. “I ran to win, but when the process was subverted, I chose not to exhaust myself in a grievance process designed to wear people down,” she stated.
She said the experience gave her deeper insight into Nigeria’s political system: “That knowledge is worth more than any petition I could have filed.”
Yesufu, who joined NDC ahead of 2027, said her campaign was a “people-powered movement” built on grassroots mobilization in Abuja.
She admitted the party has internal flaws but insisted NDC remains a credible presidential alternative. She also announced a new initiative, “A Better Abuja 2031,” to stay active in FCT politics.
CONCLAVENG
