Speaking in Enugu during a programme hosted by Enugu-based Dream FM, which was monitored by THE WHISTLER, Ani said NDC might risk not participating in the 2027 general elections in the state.
Quoting him, “The primaries were held on 29th of May. We are praying the national to accept the people that emerged. It is true that days after the primaries, some people allegedly went to Abuja to get party nominations. We had to approach the court to seek clarifications on whether somebody who did not emerge from valid monitored primaries can actually be a candidate of the party. It is an issue of the law. After the primaries, our candidates emerged, including our guber candidate, Prof Ene Nwannaji.”
He said those who went to lobby the national leadership of the part in Abuja were those that are not happy with the outcome of the primaries. He said it was normal in politics, adding that he had pleaded to them to support the outcome to move the party forward in the state.
Where the controversy started
Ani admitted that the national leadership of NDC did not monitor the congress which he conducted. In his words, “The national leadership of the party was to send a delegation to Enugu to organise the primaries, but nobody came. The leadership of the party in the state conducted it, which was duly monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.”
He said the outcome of the congress was forwarded to NDC NEC through the party’s national chairman for ratification. He explained that even without the monitoring of the NDC national, the congress remains valid, having been certified by INEC. In his words, “By the Electoral Act, INEC cannot monitor two primaries of one political party at once. You cannot also submit to the INEC names that are different from the ones that emerged from the field. We are aware of reports of some people that conducted other primaries elsewhere.”
He described the candidate list purportedly issued by NDC leadership as baseless. According to him, “Who signed the document? It was definitely signed by nobody. What is important is if anybody had signed it. It should be disregarded. We have our candidates. Which primaries produced the candidates in circulation? INEC Enugu monitored only one primary. It was direct. I am the chairman. I know the number of party members we have in the state.”
He said currently NDC in Enugu State is waiting for INEC to release the campaign timetable. “We are waiting for INEC to blow the whistle for us to start our campaign. Any other person can start his or her campaign. We are also waiting for INEC to publish names. I hope the national leadership of the party does the right thing. They can’t change the outcome of our state primaries. People went to the field and somebody won. Then you said it is you in Abuja that will announce the result. We started hearing stories that some people have emerged as candidates.”
Going to court
Ani said when the rumours of moves to swap the candidates his primaries produced on May 29th became clear, he approached a court of competent jurisdiction to determination the position of the law.
“We approached a court of competent jurisdiction,” he said. “The party is at cross-roads at the moment. It’s either to adopt what happened in Enugu or risk not having candidates at all. I keep on begging the national chairman that we must do something that is right. This nascent democracy is a hard-earned one that people fought for. What then are we preaching if what happened in Enugu is disallowed? They shouldn’t have allowed everybody that purchased the expression of interest forms to go to the field. Or they should have ordered a style they wanted; but not changing names of those that emerged from the field.”
He decried people alleging that going to court would mar the chances of NDC in the state come 2027. “Those ones that emerged have to approach the court. We only approached the court when the national leadership wanted to ambush the party by attempting to conduct another primary in Enugu. Any primary aside the one conducted on May 29th is illegal. NDC at the national level is a beneficiary of the court. It is the court that gave order for NDC to be registered.”
Authenticity of his chairmanship
He said he ran for the chairmanship of NDC in the state and won. Although he comes from the same zone as incumbent Governor Peter Mbah, Ani maintained that he would not abandon the mandate given to him because he is from Nkanu. He affirmed that, “I am the person who will lead NDC to victory in Enugu State.”
Possibility of amicable resolution
He said the national leadership of the party was reaching out to him to find a lasting solution to the impasse. “Peter Obi is very much aware of what is going on in Enugu. He is praying for peace. But the national leadership of the party is at a dilemma whether to accept actually what happened in Enugu. We also extend hands of fellowship to people from other side. What is important is to win the election. Searching for peace must not be one-sided. Both sides must make sacrifices for us to arrive at a good end.”
He maintained that the true candidates of NDC in Enugu State ahead of the 2027 polls remain those he produced. “Our candidates are intact. Prof Ene Nwannaji remains our governorship candidate. You cannot change the outcomes by mere wishing somebody away. We are seriously having meetings to see how we can democratically displace APC in Enugu State.”
Johnpaul Ani is an impostor – Assembly Candidate
Hon Hillary Onah is among the candidates released by the national leadership of the NDC for the Udenu State Constituency poll. Onah described Johnpaul Ani as ‘an acclaimed media chairman of NDC’.
He said, “He has gone to court and lost. The NDC chairman in Enugu State that is recognised by our national leadership is Ibechukwu Obetta. The NDC national chairman has made it clear that he has no business with Ani. Ani is an agent of APC.”
According to him, there are procedures in emerging as state chairman of the party. Onah said Ani cannot conduct a congress without the authorisation of the national leadership of the party. “He can’t lay claims to be the chairman without the authorisation of the national. If NDC has been existing before, Ani would have claimed as such. But NDC is a new party with a constitution. Part of it is that it is the national that has the authority to set up a committee to oversee congresses at wards, LGAs and states. Ani conducted kangaroo congresses for himself. During the national convention, Ani came, claiming to be the chairman of NDC in Enugu State. He was denied. Those that emerged along with Obetta were accredited during the convention and they voted. Ani never voted. During the sale of forms, Ani didn’t get permission from the national. He downloaded the forms and sold to his cronies. After the primaries, he declared his cronies to have won the primaries.”
Onah admitted being among the people taken to court. “The national leadership of the party, led by the national legal adviser, defended us. Ani claimed that INEC monitored his primaries. INEC swore to an affidavit that it didn’t. Ani said he independently conducted primaries when the national did not come. NDC guidelines say no state exco has the authority to conduct primaries, and also to announce results. He has been warned not be to impersonating Mr Obetta.”
Onah said the NDC primaries that produced him were on May 28 and 29 2026.
