By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
The leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has announced plans to introduce electronic voting for all party primaries and congresses within the next few months, describing the initiative as part of efforts to deepen internal democracy and position the party as a model for future electoral reforms in Nigeria.
Speaking during a dinner organised for aspirants and the inauguration of the party’s selection committee on Monday night in Abuja, NDC National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, said the party had already developed a digital voting platform that would allow registered members to vote using their mobile phones.
According to Dickson, the platform was initially intended for immediate deployment but was delayed due to time constraints and the need for further testing and regulatory coordination.
“After now, any other primary in NDC in the next three months down, and certainly by the next round of elections, NDC primaries, every registered voter will use their phone to vote because that is the direction that even Nigerian general elections should be going.
“We wanted to shock Nigerians. The platform and app are ready, but they have to be robustly tested. We don’t want glitches or mistakes” he said.
The former Bayelsa governor appealed for understanding from party members, saying the NDC was taking “baby steps with a big agenda” while laying foundations for a sustainable political institution.
Dickson stressed that the NDC was not created as a temporary platform for political ambitions but as a long-term institution built on ideology, leadership development, and inclusion.
“The NDC is not a special purpose vehicle for any human being, no matter how big or small. We are building together a political party that will stand the test of time,” he said.
He likened the party’s long-term vision to enduring political institutions across Africa and globally, adding that the NDC aimed to become a platform where ordinary Nigerians could rise through merit rather than political connections.
The NDC leader also said the party plans to establish leadership structures from the ward level up to the national level, alongside mentorship programmes, workshops, and political education for youths and women.
Also addressing aspirants at the event, NDC presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Peter Obi, assured those seeking elective positions that their sacrifices for the party would not go unnoticed, even if they failed to secure nominations.
Obi said the party intended to recognise and reward loyal members who contributed to its growth despite losing out in the selection process.
“All of us will not succeed, all of us will not be selected, all of us will not be winners, but I assure you that it is time we start recognising losers who have worked so hard,” he said.
He urged aspirants not to view failure to secure tickets as the end of their political journeys, promising that the party would take note of those who remained committed.
“It is not the end. It is the ending of the beginning,” Obi added.
Reflecting on a recent visit to South Africa, Obi lamented the conditions faced by many Nigerians abroad, saying several had told him they would rather remain overseas than return home because conditions in Nigeria had worsened.
“If we had things working in our country the way they should, most of them would not be there,” he said.
Meanwhile, member of the party’s screening committee, Buba Galadima, appealed to aspirants to remain patient and loyal to the party despite intense competition for tickets.
Galadima disclosed that some constituencies had as many as 17 aspirants vying for a single ticket, noting that only one candidate could eventually emerge.
“You must exercise patience, understanding, and remain in this party, fight for this party, struggle for this party,” he said.
He attributed some of the pressure surrounding the selection process to tight timelines imposed by electoral regulations and urged disappointed aspirants not to abandon the party after the primaries.
“When we form government, the national government is an elephant; everybody will have enough to eat,” Galadima added.
