NDC Worse Than APC, Agbonayinwa Explodes, Claims Senate Ticket Was Stolen

Agbonayinwa has alleged that he is being denied the Senate ticket he won, describing the NDC as worse than the APC.

Philips News reports that senatorial aspirant of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Edo South, Ehiozuwa Agbonayinwa, has expressed regret over his decision to leave the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the NDC, describing the move as a transition “from frying pan to hellfire.”

Speaking on Arise News’ “News Day” programme on Friday, the former member of the House of Representatives alleged that despite emerging victorious in the party’s senatorial primary election, he is being denied the opportunity to appear on the ballot. He accused the party leadership of failing to conclude and announce the outcome of the primary conducted on May 29.

Agbonayinwa also claimed that the national leader of the NDC, Senator Seriake Dickson, personally encouraged him to contest for the Edo South Senate seat and advised him to obtain the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms. According to him, Dickson has now denied ever having such a conversation, a development he described as shocking and disappointing.

The former governorship aspirant who left the APC for the NDC said, “I’ve moved from frying pan to hell fire. We had the direct primary after we couldn’t reach a consensus. They kept us in the room at the time with all other contestants for us to step down for each other, and we couldn’t do that.

“We went through rigorous processes. I understand that they are new, but I have never experienced this being with APC or being with PDP. Never. Where people were asked to go for primary… May 29 was the day the primary was conducted today is June 5 and elections have not been announced.

“The national leader of NDC, Senator Seriake Dickson, a very good friend and a brother to me for many years. We are colleagues. He was the governor, now senator, a brother I respect dearly. When we were to leave NDC, I called him. He sent it to me and said, I should come to the house.

“I went to his house and he said, “Why can’t you go to the Senate under NDC? I say I will think about it, and for me, I was going for the House of Reps but when he offered that, I started thinking, I say I will consult with my leaders, which I did, and I told him, thank you. But to my greatest surprise, 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.” [sic]