Aggrieved members and supporters of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Delta State yesterday stormed the Asaba headquarters of the party in protest over the alleged substitution of Hon. Jeffrey Adigwe, winner of the party’s Aniocha South Constituency primary election, with Hon. Osheokwu Onochie Thompson, who finished fourth in the contest.

The protesters, who expressed dissatisfaction with the development, first stormed the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Asaba to submit their complaints before proceeding to the NDC State Secretariat, where they were received by the party’s State Women Leader, Ambassador Emeremgini Genevieve.

The protesters demanded the immediate restoration of Adigwe as the NDC candidate for Aniocha South State Constituency, insisting that he won the party’s primary election with 286 votes.

They alleged that despite the outcome of the primary, Adigwe’s name was substituted with that of Osheokwu, who they claimed scored 146 votes and finished fourth in the election.

Carrying placards, the protesters displayed messages including: “We need Adigwe mandate restored,” “We don’t want imposition of Onochie Osheokwu in Aniocha South Constituency,” and “A man who cannot win primary election, how can he win general election?”

They called on the national leadership of the NDC to urgently intervene and restore what they described as the mandate freely given to Adigwe by delegates, warning that the alleged substitution could undermine the party’s chances in the 2027 general elections.

Speaking during the protest, Samuel Okeleke Junior, one of the aggrieved party members, said he had contested for the same position but had chosen to support Adigwe because he believed the outcome of the primary should be respected.

According to him, the party should not allow the same alleged injustice that made some members leave the All Progressives Congress (APC) to occur in the NDC.Government

“I contested for the same position, but today I am supporting Jeffrey Adigwe. We left APC because of injustice. How come someone who came fourth will be nominated as the party candidate?” he asked.Government

Okeleke said the protesters had obtained a copy of the INEC report which, according to him, showed the results of the primary election and the subsequent nomination of Osheokwu.

He described the development as “an injustice taken too far,” arguing that a candidate who could not win the party primary would face a difficult task winning the general election.

“We are saying no to imposition. Adigwe is our candidate. The party that wants to chart a course for a better Nigeria must be upright and have the courage to do the right thing,” he said.

Also speaking, Comrade Ibolo Harrison said the protest was borne out of the conviction that the alleged imposition of a candidate would not be accepted by the people.

He warned that failure to address the matter could affect the NDC’s electoral prospects in Aniocha South.

“This protest is born out of conviction that the imposition will not work. Except that NDC is not ready to win elections, because we won’t support it. Jeffrey Adigwe is our candidate,” Harrison said.

He further alleged that the substitution could be an attempt by individuals opposed to the NDC to undermine the party’s chances, urging the leadership to intervene immediately.

Ekelue Henry Uche, from Ubulu-Uno, appealed to the NDC leadership to respect the outcome of the primary and restore Adigwe’s mandate.

“I expect NDC to do the needful and restore the mandate of the people,” he said.

Another protester, Ogbechie Augustine, said he hails from the same ward as Osheokwu but was supporting Adigwe because the primary election had already been conducted and a winner had emerged.

“As a matter of fact, I came from the same ward with Osheokwu, who came out fourth in the primary. But as the primary election is over, we all must queue in support of Jeffrey Adigwe, who won but unfortunately was substituted,” Augustine said.

Betty Onuwa Ifekwene also insisted that Adigwe won the primary with 286 votes and had demonstrated his commitment to the party and the constituency after the election.

Addressing the protesters at the NDC State Secretariat, the State Women Leader, Ambassador Emeremgini Genevieve, appealed for calm and assured them that their grievances would be transmitted to the appropriate authorities within the party.

Genevieve commended the protesters for choosing what she described as the proper channel to express their concerns.

“I am pleased to note that you people have chosen the right path to channel your grievances,” she said.

She acknowledged that some party members were also concerned about the nomination and noted that members of the party had monitored the primary election.

“Many of us were not happy that the party nominated the candidate because we all monitored the primaries. Your message will be communicated to the appropriate quarters,” Genevieve said.