Nigerian Political Party Leaders Face Criminal Charges Over Alleged Electoral Fraud
Twenty disgruntled members of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Imo State have initiated a criminal complaint against two prominent party figures, Babatunde Ali and Teddy Obeyi, in the Chief Magistrate Court in Abuja. The charges include allegations of forgery and electoral fraud.
Legal Action and Demands for Police Involvement
The complaint, which is slated to be filed in Court No. 5 on Monday, seeks to compel the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to arrest, investigate, and prosecute the accused party leaders.
Allegations of Financial Misconduct and Deception
Members from the Imo East Senatorial District accused NDC leadership of providing a fraudulent list of nominations while collecting fees for Expression of Interest forms from aspirants. The petitioners claim that the party’s election commission misrepresented the conduct of primaries, which, according to the party, did not occur. On June 17, results were allegedly fabricated to reflect names of candidates purportedly elected in various state and federal districts.
A Breakdown of Claims from the Aggrieved Members
The petitioners, including names such as Uche Nwole, Okere Kingdom Nnamdi, and others, asserted they collectively paid N3 million for Senate Expression of Interest forms, N2 million for House of Representatives forms, and N1 million for State House forms in line with NDC guidelines for the upcoming 2027 general elections. These guidelines were reportedly signed between May 13 and May 17 by Senator Cleopas Moses Zwoge, the party’s national chairman, and the national secretary, Ikenna Morgan.
Additional Financial Allegations Against Party Leaders
Uche Nwole further accused Babatunde Ali of soliciting an additional N25 million in five installments as contributions toward the party’s growth, which Nwole transferred to Ali’s bank accounts at Fidelity Bank and Globus Bank.
Procedural Discontent from Party Aspirants
The complainants participated in the vetting process on May 19, as stipulated by the party guidelines, but expressed dissatisfaction with the procedures that ensued. They alleged that the party failed to adhere to critical guidelines, particularly those requiring publication of examination results and the issuance of nomination forms to qualified candidates. Instead, they were instructed to report to their precincts for a primary election scheduled for May 28.
Claims of Disrupted Primaries and Fabricated Results
According to the plaintiffs, the primary election was thwarted when Babatunde Ali, the chairman of the electoral commission deployed to Imo State, encouraged candidates to reach a consensus on a joint ticket before later postponing the primaries to May 29. Ultimately, they asserted that the primary election was never conducted due to alleged interference by election commission officials.
Criminal Allegations Raised in the Complaint
The complaint asserts that on June 17, 2026, the plaintiffs observed the distribution of falsified results on the NDC WhatsApp platform. They accused Babatunde F. Ali of fabricating electoral outcomes for primaries that did not take place in various constituencies, constituting forgery and a breach of trust. The plaintiffs contend that these actions violate multiple sections of the Elections Act, 2026.
As of the time of this report, no hearing date has been established for this pressing matter.
