Human rights activist and politician, Aisha Yesufu, openly confronted leaders of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), including National Secretary It is Barr. Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu and members of the party’s National Executive Committee, over the handling of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) senatorial ticket.
The heated exchange reportedly followed the party’s decision not to grant Yesufu the FCT senatorial ticket, with party officials allegedly citing her late entry into the NDC as a major factor.
In a viral video seen on Wednesday, an angry Yesufu accused the party leadership of failing to honour commitments allegedly made regarding the selection process.
She specifically criticised the National Secretary, saying he should not have publicly made promises he could not fulfil.
“The National Secretary did not have what it took to vote for every local government, then he shouldn’t have put out a statement to the world that he was going to do that,” Yesufu said.
“If we do something, we must stand by our word. It is official, it is outside, it is on our official channels.”
The activist, known for her outspoken role in the #BringBackOurGirls campaign and democratic advocacy, expressed frustration over what she described as unfair treatment within the party.
According to her, despite enduring public attacks and criticism, she remained committed to the party and was prepared to accept defeat if the process had been transparent and credible.
“I’m not even asking for a level playing ground. I’m asking for the ground,” she said.
“I was told repeatedly that I can’t relate to this party. Who does that? My name has been dragged all over the place.”
“At the end of all those times, I said I’m ready. If I lost, I lost. Clearly, I’m ready to call people and say I lost.”
Yesufu further stated that she deliberately refrained from publicly reacting to the controversy because of her commitment to the party’s presidential project.
“People have been calling me and saying, ‘No, don’t react.’ You know why? Because I have a presidential candidate. I have a president,” she said.
The confrontation has sparked reactions among party supporters and political observers, with many questioning the transparency of the NDC’s internal processes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Earlier, Yesufu alleged that the party’s primary election in Abuja was manipulated and predetermined, claiming that the process was ultimately decided behind closed doors rather than through a transparent democratic contest.
In a statement titled “On the Record: NDC Primaries… A Better Abuja Is Inevitable,” Yesufu dismissed suggestions that she withdrew from the race, insisting that she remained in the contest until the end.
“I did not quit, I did not drop out of the race. I stayed to the end,” she said.
The activist, however, disclosed that she would not challenge the outcome of the exercise in court despite what she described as a deeply flawed process.
According to her, the Abuja senatorial primary was never allowed to take place in a manner consistent with democratic principles and the party’s own guidelines.
She claimed that the exercise was repeatedly postponed, venues were changed at the last minute, and procedures initially communicated to aspirants and party members were altered without adequate explanation.
According to her, a delegate-based system was eventually introduced and conducted at a central location rather than through direct primaries at local government headquarters as originally anticipated.
While acknowledging that the party might defend the process as free and fair, Yesufu argued that the events surrounding the primary did not reflect justice or fairness when measured against the spirit of democratic participation and electoral guidelines.
The former aspirant said she entered politics because she believed meaningful societal change required active participation in governance and policymaking rather than remaining solely in the advocacy space.
Yesufu noted that she was fully aware of the challenges associated with Nigeria’s political system but maintained that she deliberately chose not to compromise her principles.
“I ran to win. But when the process was subverted, I made a choice: I would not exhaust myself in a grievance process designed to wear people down,” she said.
She added that the experience provided her with a deeper understanding of political structures and power dynamics than any academic study or external observation could offer.
See the video below:
https://x.com/i/status/2062429719153312103
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