Here, our Managing Editor, Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka takes a look at three opinion pieces by NDC members in Abuja: “Words on the Marble” by Okey Nwoke, “Aisha Isn’t Better” by Emeka A., and “The Law of Consequence” by Meche Ukegbu have reignited debate inside the party. They raise hard questions and allegations about unpaid 2023 agent funds, candidate readiness for FCT Senate, and the fallout from Labour Party’s internal crisis. As NDC prepares for 2027, these essays expose the trust issues and standards the party must resolve. Excerpts.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress is facing a moment of internal reckoning. Three articles circulating among party members in Abuja have reopened debates about integrity, competence, and accountability. “Words on the Marble,” “Aisha Isn’t Better,” and “The Law of Consequence” are not just opinion pieces; they are alleged indictments that could shape how the party selects candidates and manages trust ahead of the next general elections.
Okey Nwoke’s “Words on the Marble” sets a moral standard from the outset. He insists that aspirants must be “like Caesar’s wife,” above board and untainted by money. His central allegation concerns funds for North Central polling unit agents, including the FCT, during the 2023 elections. He claims one aspirant, who also held membership in the LP PCC, took custody of the money and has not paid the agents till date.
The question Nwoke poses is blunt: “Where is our 2023 agents money?” He argues that no serious political party can hand its ticket to “questionable characters” and expect victory. By tying the allegation to the upcoming NDC National Assembly primaries in the FCT, he suggests voters should demand integrity before casting ballots.
Emeka A.’s “Aisha Isn’t Better” narrows the focus to the FCT Senate contest. He contends that popularity on social media does not translate to electoral competence. For him, Barr Amanda Pam is “very very seasoned for this job,” while Aisha Yesufu is not ready yet, even if she may be in future.
Emeka’s core charge is that Aisha handled disbursement of funds for polling unit agents in North Central, including FCT. He allegedly claims that the money arrived over a week after election day, leaving agents stranded. From his vantage in Gwagwalada, Abuja, he says even smaller local funds were disbursed on time, which makes the delay inexcusable.
He describes the incident as more than ineptitude. To Emeka, it was a “sell-out” and a “betrayal” because over 80% of agents abandoned their posts on election day. He argues that this gave opponents a 48-hour window to manipulate results, and that North Central lost votes as a direct consequence.
The article draws a contrast between Abuja North and Abuja South. Emeka notes that LP Abuja North defended its votes and delivered over 67% for Peter Obi, while other parts of North Central suffered because agents had left. The implication is that poor logistics, not just rigging, cost the party crucial votes.
To strengthen his preference for Barr Pam, Emeka cites an eyewitness account of her blocking a Hilux van loaded with election materials at a collection center, insisting it be counted there. He then asks where Aisha was at that moment, suggesting she was “on duty online” instead of on the ground when the mandate was under threat.
Meche Ukegbu’s “The Law of Consequence” broadens the frame to the national crisis within the Labour Party and its offshoots. He opens with a philosophical claim: “You cannot build your empire on the raw pain of others and expect it to stand.” For him, Aisha’s recent NDC primary defeat exposed a delusion that Peter Obi’s 2023 wave would carry everyone indefinitely.
Ukegbu argues that the 2023 movement was organic and belonged to the people, not to “opportunistic parasites.” He contends that the current political space is filled with “self-serving zealots and grifters” who profited from chaos. Those who engineered or cheered LP’s internal crises, he says, are now reaping “total irrelevance.”
He places Aisha at the center of those who “troubled, fractured, and destabilized” the Labour Party from outside. The article reads as both an explanation for her primary loss and a warning to others who prioritize personal ambition over collective sacrifice. Karma, in Ukegbu’s words, is “an efficient accountant.”
The most explosive part of Ukegbu’s piece revisits the allegation that campaign funds for agents were lodged in Aisha Yesufu’s personal bank account on Peter Obi’s instruction, bypassing Labour Party Chairman Julius Abure. He claims the Obidients attacked Abure publicly while those who knew the truth remained silent.
For Ukegbu, the greater offense was not the financial arrangement itself, but the refusal to correct the public record. He allegedly argues that both Aisha and Obi had information that could have cleared Abure’s name, yet allowed an “innocent man’s reputation” to be dismantled for political convenience.
He concludes with a moral lesson on leadership: accountability extends beyond money to the protection of human dignity. Allowing a colleague to bear public shame while holding exculpatory facts is, to him, a “profound moral failure.” The article ends on the idea of cosmic justice — those who sponsor pain will eventually harvest disappointment.
Taken together, the three articles raise issues NDC leadership cannot ignore. If polling agents’ money remains unpaid, as Nwoke and Emeka allege, the party risks losing the very foot soldiers it needs for 2027. The accusations of betrayal and sell-out are weighty and require transparent investigation, not just rhetorical dismissal.
On candidate selection, Emeka’s argument favors proven field experience over online visibility. Whether Barr Pam or Aisha ultimately resonates with FCT voters will depend on how the party weighs grassroots record against national profile. But the debate itself shows members are demanding more than slogans.
Ukegbu’s “Law of Consequence” pushes NDC to confront a deeper question: how will it handle internal conflict without destroying its own? If the party is to be seen as a credible alternative, it must establish mechanisms for transparency, protect members from defamation, and ensure the mistakes of 2023 do not become the blueprint for 2027.
Although all efforts made to reach Yusuf was unsuccessful as she didn’t pick her calls at press time, in the end, these essays are a mirror. They reflect anger, disappointment, and high expectations within NDC. The party’s response, whether through reconciliation, investigation, or structural reform, will determine if it turns this moment of crisis into an opportunity to build a movement that lasts beyond one election cycle.
