Peter Obi's Camp Rocked by Internal Strife: Allies Clash Over Delta Ticket

A significant internal dispute has recently emerged within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), involving a close ally of Peter Obi, Morris Monye, and the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Theo Agada. The contention centers on Monye’s alleged replacement as the party’s House of Representatives candidate for Delta North, leading to a public exchange of accusations between the two figures.

The controversy began over the weekend when Monye publicly alleged that his removal from the list of candidates was orchestrated by influential politicians who had recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC). He stated that reports of his substitution surfaced shortly after these APC defectors joined the NDC, accompanied by claims that he had lost the party’s primary election. Monye immediately brought the development to the attention of Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate, who reportedly expressed concern and advised Monye not to let the dispute distract from the broader objective of securing the presidency for the party.

Monye further claimed that the primary election results were manipulated to favor another aspirant. Despite this, he ultimately chose not to challenge the outcome after consultations with Obi and other party leaders, stating his decision was made “out of respect for our Principal, H.E. Peter Obi, and the journey ahead.” He asserted that his motivation was not personal political ambition but a deep commitment to Obi’s vision for a functional Nigeria. In a subsequent post, Monye accused the NDC of prioritizing recent APC defectors over its longstanding members. He dismissed arguments that the newcomers possessed greater financial capacity, highlighting his substantial personal investments in building the NDC in his constituency, including donating a party secretariat and funding various activities. He also alleged that political godfathers had imported loyalists from the APC to occupy strategic positions within the party structure.

In response to Monye’s allegations, Theo Agada, the NDC National Publicity Secretary, denied any involvement by the party’s national leadership in Monye’s alleged removal. Agada insisted that candidate selection processes were handled entirely by the party’s state leadership, urging Monye to address his grievances with local leaders at the grassroots level. He clarified that the national leadership had devolved power to local stakeholders, who were responsible for such decisions. Agada specifically named the party’s Delta governorship candidate, Prof. Pat Utomi, and Victor Ochei, as among those responsible for candidate decisions in the state, explaining that the national leadership merely uploads names submitted by state officials to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Furthermore, Agada rejected Monye’s assertion that financial influence dictated the outcome of the primaries. He argued that the NDC demonstrated its commitment to fairness by only charging aspirants for expression of interest forms before the primaries, contrasting this approach with many other political parties that impose higher fees. Agada suggested that the NDC was not driven by monetary considerations and could have easily demanded more from the thousands of interested aspirants. He also accused critics of disseminating false narratives against the party, implying that the full details of the Delta controversy had not yet emerged publicly.

The disagreement between Monye and Agada escalated on Monday, with Monye publicly questioning Agada’s competence as the party’s spokesperson. Monye’s statement on X, “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,” underscored the deepening rift within the party’s ranks.