NDC Crisis Deepens As Peter Obi’s Ally, Spokesperson Clash Over Delta Ticket

A fresh rift has erupted within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as Peter Obi ally, Morris Monye, and the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Theo Agada, traded accusations over the controversy surrounding Monye’s alleged replacement as the party’s House of Representatives candidate for Delta North.

The dispute began after Monye alleged in a series of posts over the weekend that influential politicians who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) orchestrated his removal from the party’s list of candidates.

According to Monye, reports of his substitution surfaced shortly after the APC defectors joined the NDC, with claims that he had lost the party’s primary election.

He said he immediately informed Peter Obi of the development, adding that the former Labour Party presidential candidate expressed concern and advised him not to allow the dispute distract from the broader objective of securing the presidency.

“When news of this substitution started filtering in due to entrants of newly defected APC strongmen in Delta State, I had to run to H.E. Peter Obi late at night to brief him on what was going on,” Monye wrote.

He alleged that the primary election result was manipulated to favour another aspirant but said he eventually chose not to challenge the outcome after consultations with Obi and other party leaders.

“I decided not to pursue my own election matter any longer out of respect for our Principal, H.E. Peter Obi, and the journey ahead,” he said.

Monye maintained that he was not driven by personal political ambition but by his commitment to Obi’s vision for Nigeria.

“I am not desperate to answer ‘Honourable,’ but I’m desperate to see a Nigeria that works for me, you and all our loved ones.”

In a subsequent post on Sunday, Monye accused the party of favouring recent APC defectors over longstanding members.

He dismissed claims that the newcomers had greater financial capacity, insisting he had made significant personal investments in building the NDC in his constituency, including donating a party secretariat and funding party activities.

He alleged that political godfathers imported loyalists from the APC to occupy strategic positions within the party.

Responding on Sunday, Agada denied that the NDC’s national leadership played any role in Monye’s alleged removal, insisting that candidate selection was handled entirely by the party’s state leadership.

“Whatever issue he is having, he should take it up with his local leaders at the grassroots level. The national leadership devolved power to local stakeholders, and they are the ones calling the shots,” Agada said.

He identified the party’s Delta governorship candidate, Prof. Pat Utomi, and Victor Ochei as among those responsible for decisions on candidates in the state, adding that the national leadership only uploads names submitted by state officials to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Agada also rejected Monye’s claim that financial influence determined the outcome of the primaries.

He argued that the party had demonstrated its commitment to fairness by charging aspirants only for expression of interest forms before the primaries, unlike many other political parties.

“If the NDC was after money or for moneybags, it could have easily asked the thousands of people who indicated interest in contesting on the party’s platform to buy both the Expression of Interest form and the nomination form,” he said.

The spokesperson further accused critics of spreading false narratives against the party and suggested that the full details of the Delta controversy had yet to emerge.

The disagreement escalated on Monday after Monye publicly questioned Agada’s competence as the party’s spokesperson.

“It is unfortunate that Theo Agada does not know his job as Spokesperson for the NDC Party. It’s a truly unfortunate realization for me,” Monye wrote on X.