Former member of the House of Representatives, Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, has said he regrets his move from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), citing dissatisfaction with the conduct of the party’s internal processes.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Friday, Agbonayinma said his decision to join the opposition party was driven by the belief that it could offer a credible alternative, but his expectations were not met.
“I had thought NDC was the messiah to redefine and rescue Nigeria. I didn’t know it was leaving the frying pan, and now it ended up in hellfire,” he said.
Agbonayinma, who is also an aspirant for the Edo South senatorial ticket under the NDC, accused the party of failing to adhere to its own guidelines during its primary election in Edo State.
He explained that aspirants were initially encouraged to reach a consensus arrangement, but no agreement was achieved among contestants.
“The Electoral Act is very explicit. Either you go by consensus or direct primaries, and we couldn’t reach an agreement,” he said.
The former lawmaker further alleged that the process leading to the primary was marked by pressure and internal manipulation, claiming that aspirants were kept together and encouraged to step down for one another.
“They kept us in a room with other contestants for us to step down for one another, and we couldn’t do that,” he said.
Agbonayinma also claimed that he won the senatorial primary but said the result had not been officially announced since May 29. He further alleged irregularities in the handling of the exercise.
“Where people were asked to go to the primary, I won that primary, and since May 29, the election has not been announced,” he stated.
“An election where a returning officer was caught changing results.”
He also expressed disappointment in the role allegedly played by a senior figure in the NDC, Seriake Dickson, a former governor and national leader of the party.
According to Agbonayinma, Dickson had encouraged him to obtain the party’s nomination form and contest for the Senate but later denied doing so during a follow-up meeting.
“The same man who asked me to go and buy the form; this morning we had a meeting, and he said he never said so,” he said.
Agbonayinma described the experience as deeply frustrating, adding that he felt misled during the process.
“I’m weeping and regretting,” he said.
Meanwhile, the NDC has maintained that its candidates emerged through consultations, consensus-building, and grassroots primaries. The party has also advised aggrieved aspirants to make use of its internal appeal and reconciliation mechanisms.
