Former chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, Sam Amadi, has delivered a scathing assessment of the Nigeria Democratic Congress primary elections, describing them as the weakest among major political parties preparing for the 2027 general elections. In a detailed evaluation posted on social media platform X on Thursday, Amadi ranked the emerging opposition party last in organizational capability, despite acknowledging that manipulation and irregularities plagued all three major parties that recently completed their candidate selection processes.
Amadi’s critique extended beyond the NDC to encompass the ruling All Progressives Congress, which he said also conducted deeply flawed primaries, though he suggested these were marginally better organized than those of the NDC. According to his assessment, only the African Democratic Congress managed to conduct what he termed a “well organized” primary, though he was quick to clarify that superior organization did not translate to fairness or transparency. The former regulatory chief emphasized that coordination and structure should not be confused with electoral integrity, as the ADC primaries were similarly compromised by rigging and manipulation.
Breaking down his rankings, Amadi placed ADC first for organizational capacity, APC second, and NDC in last position, while maintaining that all three parties presided over heavily manipulated selection processes. His analysis suggests a systemic problem within Nigeria’s political infrastructure rather than isolated failures by individual parties. The assessment raises troubling questions about the credibility of internal party democracy and the quality of candidates likely to emerge for the 2027 electoral contest.
Offering a partial defense of the NDC’s poor showing, Amadi pointed to the compressed timeline the party faced in organizing its primaries compared to more elished political organizations. He argued that achieving genuinely credible primaries remains nearly impossible under current political conditions and the rushed schedules imposed on parties by electoral regulations. His comments reflect broader concerns about structural impediments to democratic processes within Nigerian political parties, where moneyed interests and elished power brokers often predetermine outcomes regardless of grassroots sentiment.
Despite his harsh criticism, Amadi acknowledged that the NDC has performed relatively well considering its recent formation and limited preparation time. However, he issued a stark warning that the party must significantly improve its internal processes if it hopes to be taken seriously as Nigeria’s main opposition force. His reference to “greedy and poor people in Nigerian politics” suggests that both financial desperation and elite capture contribute to the systematic undermining of democratic primaries across the political spectrum.
Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, Amadi’s intervention highlights the credibility challenges facing all major political parties as they present candidates to an increasingly skeptical electorate. Whether the NDC can address its organizational deficiencies and elish itself as a genuine alternative to the ruling APC, or whether it will be dismissed as another iteration of the same political dysfunction that has characterized Nigerian democracy, remains an open question. For voters hoping for meaningful choice in 2027, the widespread rigging of party primaries suggests that real democratic competition may remain elusive regardless of which party ultimately prevails.
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