Hon. Julius Efeni Akbovoka, a House of Representatives hopeful on the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ticket, used a press briefing in Abuja to urge the party's leadership to respect internal democracy, transparency and due‑process rules in the Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu federal constituency primary.
Akbovoka said the primary election concluded several days earlier, yet the party has not provided an official outcome, creating prolonged uncertainty. He explained that repeated requests for clarification from party officials produced no definitive response, prompting him to address journalists directly.
The aspirant recounted that he joined the NDC on 30 April after resigning from his former party, immediately mobilising supporters and enrolling thousands of new members, thereby expanding the party's grassroots in the constituency. He complied with all requirements for the Expression of Interest forms, passed the party's screening process that assessed competence, character and electoral capacity, and was cleared to contest.
A former councillor, vice‑chairman and acting chairman of a local government council, Akbovoka noted that the party initially explored consensus arrangements in some constituencies but later instructed aspirants to return to their states for direct primaries. He participated in the primary held across Ughelli North, Ughelli South and Udu Local Government Areas, and cited vote tallies of 1,205 in Ughelli North, 350 in Ughelli South and 283 in Udu, which he said placed him in a strong position.
Despite these figures, Akbovoka said the party has not formally communicated its final stance on the exercise, a delay that has caused anxiety among his supporters. He has lodged an appeal with the party's appeal committee, requesting that the field results be reviewed according to established procedures, and has also engaged senior party figures to ensure all internal mechanisms are exhausted.
Akbovoka warned that a political party's credibility is reinforced when its actions align with its proclaimed principles of transparency and accountability.
The NDC, which publicly champions internal democracy, has yet to announce the result of the Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu primary despite the exercise concluding days ago, contradicting its own stated principles. This silence leaves Akbovoka's supporters uncertain about their representation and fuels distrust among party members in Delta State. If the party continues to withhold clarification, confidence in its electoral processes among ordinary Nigerians could further deteriorate.
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