The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) says the party has put measures in place to prevent aspirants from riding on Peter Obi’s and Rabiu Kwankwaso’s popularity to power.
According to the spokesman of the NDC, Osa Director, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, unlike what happened in 2023, the opposition party will be thorough in the screening of aspirants.
“We have learnt from the incident of the past that happened in the Labour Party, and that was why during our screening, we took particular special notice of the fact that a lot of people, especially people from the diaspora who have never participated in politics, rushed to get a form under the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC),” Director said.
“As you have said, [they did so] probably to ride on the Obi-Kwankwaso wave and also because they see that the NDC is a vibrant alternative platform to the mess we’re having in the country today, and we are conscious of all that.
“Even during the screening, most of them were asked all those questions [about their vision and credentials], so they know. And if you are not on the ground. Who is going to vote for you?”
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Obi was the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, while Kwankwaso was the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) flagbearer in that exercise.
In the buildup to that election, several aspirants, some relatively unknown, joined the LP and NNPP and even won. But months after, many of them dumped these parties for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
But the NDC spokesman said his party has learnt from that.
“So, flowing from that experience, the NDC has also told all the aspirants that it is not going to be business as usual. We are going to check your pedigree,” Director said on the breakfast show.
“If you don’t have a verifiable pedigree and commitment to the party, to the principles and values that the party is espousing, then you are not going to pick a ticket and fly the flag of the NDC. So, we are learning from the mistakes of the past.”
