Edo South faction rejects peace panel, insisting “stolen mandates cannot be reconciled away”
Aggrieved members of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) in Edo South Senatorial District have rejected the party’s national reconciliation committee, dismissing it as a theatrical exercise designed to legitimize electoral fraud rather than deliver justice.
In a statement signed by Agbonaye Osazee Ofo, the faction declared that “a stolen mandate cannot be reconciled away” and accused party leadership of using the committee to force compliance rather than heal wounds.
“This panel was never assembled to heal wounds; it was deployed to enforce compliance,” the statement read. “It invites the betrayed to sit at a table set by those accused of betraying them.”
The group questioned the committee’s independence, warning that even respected figures like Prof. Pat Utomi and Engr. Buba Galadima cannot transform an unjust process into a just one through their presence alone.
Key Demands
· Independent review of disputed primary election records
· Restoration of mandates where wrongdoing is established
· Genuine arbitration free from leadership interference
“Unity without justice is not unity. It is forced conformity,” Ofo stated, adding that the NDC cannot campaign for democracy while failing to practice it internally.
The aggrieved members insisted that reconciliation must begin with truth, not political expediency, warning that the party risks becoming a “hollow charade” if it continues suppressing legitimate grievances ahead of the 2027 elections.
