May 22, (THEWILL) — The Nigeria Democratic Congress has constituted a National Selection Committee to oversee the screening and selection of aspirants ahead of its forthcoming governorship and National Assembly primaries, with former senator Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe named chairman of the panel.
The party disclosed this in a statement issued by its National Secretary, Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu, saying the move formed part of preparations for the next phase of its internal electoral process.
According to the statement, the committee was approved by the party’s National Leader following recommendations by the National Working Committee (NWC), in line with the NDC’s commitment to transparency, internal democracy, and credible candidate selection.
The party explained that the committee would review and scrutinise reports submitted by the National Screening Committee and take decisions on the screening outcomes of all aspirants seeking to contest elections on the platform of the NDC.
Other members of the committee include Babatunde Ali, Sidi Abdul Bomi, Mohammed Bakin Zuwo, Danlami Arabs, Fredrick E. Owotorufa, Teddy Obey, and Barnabas J. Ejisi.
Also appointed are Adedayo Ekong, Yenusa Tanko, Moses Paul, Buba Galadima, Aminu Abdulsalam, Danladi Abdulhamid, and Udenta Udenta.
Others on the panel are Reuben Egwuaba, Dudu Mamman Manuga, Grace N. Onyekusiobi, and Shittu Mohammed, while Enekweizu will serve as secretary of the committee.
The party appealed to aspirants, stakeholders, and members to exercise patience and cooperate with the committee, citing the tight timeline for the completion of the exercise.
According to the statement, the selection process is designed to encourage consensus-building and ensure the emergence of widely accepted candidates through what it described as a free, fair, and credible mechanism.
The NDC further stated that only aspirants screened and cleared by both the National Screening Committee and the National Selection Committee would be eligible to purchase nomination forms. It added that direct primaries would be conducted between May 28 and 30, 2026, in states or constituencies where consensus arrangements fail.
The party also disclosed that the National Selection Committee would be inaugurated on Monday, May 25, 2026, before commencing its inaugural meeting immediately after the ceremony.
Reaffirming its commitment to credible internal processes, the NDC said the exercise was aimed at strengthening party unity and deepening internal democracy ahead of future elections.
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