The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has announced that all aspirants who purchased Expression of Interest Forms for the party’s forthcoming primaries will be allowed to participate in the exercise, citing time constraints and logistical realities ahead of the 2027 elections.

The decision followed extensive deliberations involving the party’s National Chairman, presidential aspirant Peter Obi, members of the National Working Committee and the Selection Committee after receiving the report of the Screening Committee chaired by former Ebonyi State Governor, Sam Egwu.

In a statement issued after the meeting, the party commended the screening committee for what it described as a painstaking assignment that lasted nearly a week due to the large number of aspirants across the country.

The NDC also appreciated aspirants and supporters who donated to the party and chose its platform to pursue their political ambitions.

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“Following a briefing at the joint meeting of the Selection Committee and the Screening Committee, and in view of the constraints of time, it was decided that all those who purchased Expression of Interest Forms would be allowed to participate in the primaries in their various constituencies,” the statement said.

According to the party, only successful candidates would proceed to the party secretariat for documentation, payment of nomination forms and completion of other required processes.

The statement disclosed that teams made up of senior party officials had been deployed to states nationwide to supervise the primaries with support from local stakeholders and party leaders.

The NDC described itself as a women- and youth-friendly party and urged officials conducting the exercise to prioritise fairness, inclusiveness and candidates with electoral strength.

“Our party is women- and youth-friendly, and we urge the teams to pay attention to aspirants with the capacity to win elections,” the statement noted.

The party also warned against violence and intimidation during the primaries, reiterating its zero tolerance for disorderly conduct.

“We call for violence-free primaries and reiterate our zero tolerance for violent behaviour. The party will take serious action against anyone who resorts to violence, threats, intimidation, or disorderly conduct,” it added.

The NDC announced that primaries would hold on May 28 and 29, 2026, with aspirants permitted to participate using only their Expression of Interest Forms due to the compressed timetable.

An Appeal Panel is also expected to be inaugurated to address grievances arising from the process.

The party explained that State Assembly primaries would be conducted through direct primaries at constituency level, while House of Representatives, Senate, governorship and presidential affirmations would take place at various local government headquarters.

It added that final results would be announced at the party’s National Secretariat by the Selection Committee and the National Executive Committee.

The NDC acknowledged challenges associated with the manual conduct of the primaries, revealing that plans for a fully electronic process could not be implemented because of limited time.

“We understand that the manual process may not be perfect due to time constraints and logistical challenges, and we ask everyone to bear with us.

“As I said at the dinner with aspirants, this will be the last primary election in the NDC to be conducted manually,” the statement read.

The party assured members that future congresses and primaries would be conducted electronically to reduce complaints and improve transparency.

NDC called on party officials to work closely with stakeholders, the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies to ensure peaceful and credible primaries nationwide.

“Bear with us and join us as we strive to build an enduring modern political institution, not a special-purpose vehicle for any individual political interest, but a party that will outlast all of us,” the statement added.