Former Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Sam Amadi, has alleged that the party’s recent primary election in Imo State was tainted by ticket racketeering and financial exploitation of aspirants.
Amadi raised the concerns while reacting to the outcome of the primary exercise, claiming that several aspirants have approached him with complaints of being shortchanged after allegedly paying money to party officials in exchange for nomination tickets.
According to him, some party members reportedly collected funds from aspirants beyond officially approved party fees but failed to deliver on their promises.
The former NERC chairman said the growing number of complaints from aggrieved aspirants points to a serious internal issue that must be addressed to protect the credibility of the party.
He disclosed that several affected individuals had met with him to narrate their experiences and seek redress over the alleged financial transactions.
Amadi subsequently called on all aspirants who made unofficial payments for tickets to come forward, assuring them that efforts would be made to recover their money.
“Please, if you are one of those who paid money to anyone apart from officially declared fees, contact me and let me recover your money,” he said.
Describing the alleged conduct as fraudulent, Amadi stressed that political processes should not be turned into commercial ventures where aspirants are exploited for personal gain.
“There must be accountability for fraud. This is beyond politics. If you collected money for a transaction, then perform or refund. Political processes must not be commercialised,” he added.
The NDC chieftain argued that accountability and transparency are essential for maintaining public confidence in party primaries and internal democratic processes.
He warned that failure to address such allegations could damage the party’s reputation and discourage credible individuals from participating in future political contests.
Amadi’s comments come amid increasing scrutiny of candidate selection processes across political parties, with concerns frequently raised over transparency, fairness and the influence of money in internal party affairs.
As of the time of filing this report, the Imo State chapter of the NDC had not publicly responded to the allegations.
