Aggrieved NDC members file criminal complaint against chieftains over forgery

From Godwin Tsa, Abuja

Twenty aggrieved members of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Imo State have filed a direct criminal complaint before a Chief Magistrate Court in Abuja against two party chieftains, Babatunde Alli and Teddy Obey, over alleged forgery.

The matter, assigned to Court 5, came up yesterday, with the complainants asking the court to direct the Inspector General of Police to immediately arrest, investigate, and prosecute the defendants.

The complaint was brought by members of the party from Imo East Senatorial District, who accused the officials of issuing a false nomination list despite collecting payments for expression of interest forms.

The complainants told the court that the party’s electoral committee misled them about primary elections that never held, and on June 17 released a fake result containing names purportedly drawn from primaries that never took place across various state and federal constituencies in the state.

Listed as complainants are Uche Nwole, Okere Kingdom Nnamdi, Chigbu Uzoma, Oshieze Vincent Ehirim, Hector Nnadi, Uche Asoluka, Odaghara Chijioke, Sixtus Nnamdi Obasi, Peter Ogbede, Ikesinachi Onwuaka, Mike Nwachukwu, Kelechi Luke Anyanwu, Opara Donald Mba, Emeka James Onyema, Uche Ugo, Nkwocha Kennedy, Possible Mjemeru, Okeke Maxwell, Ogu Ugonna, and Chidi Cally Egwe.

In the complaint, marked CR/1422/644/2026, the complainants alleged that they paid N3 million for the Senate expression of interest form, N2 million for House of Representatives, and N1 million for state house of assembly forms, in line with the NDC Guidelines for the 2027 General Election signed by the party’s national chairman, Senator Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe, and national secretary, Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu, between May 13 and 17.

They said that beyond these payments, Nwole alone transferred a total of N25 million in five separate instalments to Alli — described as a levy/contribution toward the party’s growth — through Fidelity Bank and Globus Bank.

The complainants added that they presented themselves for screening on May 19 in line with the guidelines but were left disappointed.

According to them, the party departed from its own rules under paragraphs 1(c) and (d), which required it to announce screening results and issue nomination forms to prequalified aspirants. Instead, they were directed to proceed to their constituencies for primaries scheduled for May 28.

They alleged that on May 28, at about 4:30pm, Alli — chairman of the electoral committee deployed to Imo State — first asked them to agree on consensus candidates, then issued a circular rescheduling the primaries to May 29. However, no primary was eventually conducted, allegedly due to a hijack of the electoral committee by some officials.

“Regrettably, on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, the complainants saw a publication of fake results circulating on NDC WhatsApp platforms, wherein Mr Babatunde Alli forged results of primary elections that never held in various state and federal constituencies, including Imo East Senatorial District,” the complaint stated.

“The said criminally forged result contains figures of votes purportedly scored by candidates from a primary election that never held anywhere in Imo State, and this amounts to forgery, criminal breach of trust, and corrupt inducement to return a candidate as winner of a primary election that never held.”

The complainants stated that the alleged offences contravene Sections 118(c), 119(1)(a) and (c), and 124(3) of the Electoral Act 2026.

No date has been fixed for hearing.