Alleged Imo Primaries Fraud: Ex-Lawmaker Nwole Demands Urgent Review, Accuses Panel of Forged Results …says confidence in party leadership is why he is seeking internal resolution

Former House of Representatives member for Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Federal Constituency, Hon. Uche Nwole, has called on the leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) to urgently investigate the conduct and outcome of its Imo State primaries, alleging that the exercise was compromised and the results forged.

Nwole, who represented his constituency between 1999 and 2003 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and later contested a Senate bid for Owerri Senatorial District, made the appeal while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Friday.

He urged the party to act swiftly to protect its internal democracy ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that what was presented as primary election results in Imo State did not reflect any legitimate voting process.

According to him, the credibility of the exercise was undermined by alleged manipulation involving some party stakeholders, including Chief Martin Agbaso and members of the supervision panel sent from the national headquarters.

“The purported primaries in Imo State were not conducted as directed by the party. What exists are fabricated results that did not emerge from any credible electoral process,” Nwole was quoted as saying.

In a detailed account referenced by the concerned aspirants, the party’s national panel reportedly led by Chief Babatunde Ali was accused of losing control of the exercise upon arrival in Imo State.

The petition alleged that the panel was hosted and moved around by associates of Chief Martin Agbaso, including Chief Stanley Ukaga, before being lodged in a hotel in Owerri and later taken to Agbaso’s residence.

It further claimed that although party stakeholders and aspirants initially agreed on direct primaries across wards due to absence of consensus, no actual voting took place across the state.

Instead, the petitioners alleged that local government chairmen and party executives were left to collate results in the absence of returning officers, while the national panel reportedly relocated and later produced a separate set of results.

The group maintained that the final results submitted to the party’s national secretariat differed significantly from those allegedly compiled at the state level, describing the outcome as “forged and unacceptable.”

Claims of Imposition and Internal Control

The petition also raised concerns about alleged imposition of candidates, accusing unnamed party officials of attempting to position Barrister Uche Onyeagucha as the preferred candidate for the Imo political structure.

It further alleged that prior to the primaries, there were claims that party structures in Imo State had been “commercially influenced,” a situation the petitioners said undermined trust within the party.

Nwole appealed to the NDC leadership to disregard the disputed results and instead rely on records allegedly compiled by local government party officials, which he insists reflect the authentic outcome of the exercise.

He warned that failure to address the crisis could damage the party’s electoral chances in Imo State ahead of 2027.

“Our appeal is based on trust in the leadership of the party. We are confident that the NDC will do the right thing and correct this anomaly,” he said.

He urged the party to prioritize fairness, internal democracy, and candidate credibility in resolving the dispute, stressing that only transparent processes would guarantee electoral success.

The controversy adds to longstanding tensions within Imo State party politics, where disputes over primaries and candidate selection have frequently triggered internal litigation and factional struggles.

Party leaders are yet to issue an official response to the allegations.