A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Chief Sylvester Ugochinyere Eze, has accused key leaders of the party of abandoning its candidate, Bishop Oscar Okwudili Ossai, during the Enugu North Senatorial District bye-election held last Saturday.

In a statement made available to journalists in Nsukka on Wednesday, Eze said the NDC candidate was denied the level of support required to mount a strong challenge in the poll.

According to him, although the June 20 exercise could not be described as a credible election, Ossai might still have struggled in a free and fair contest due to what he described as inadequate backing from party stakeholders.

“There was no time for campaigns, but even within the three or four days available before the election, prominent figures in the party were nowhere to be seen in Nsukka zone. Not even during the mega rally of June 18 where Peter Obi was expected,” he said.

Eze argued that beyond financial resources, the NDC candidate required visible endorsements and active participation from influential party leaders.

He claimed that while the candidate of the ruling party enjoyed the support of government structures and prominent political figures at campaign events, Ossai was largely left to fend for himself.

“Candidate Ossai needed money, but he needed endorsements from notable NDC leaders even more. His opponent had the backing of Government House and access to enormous resources, while important personalities in his party were visible at campaign rallies. The NDC candidate did not enjoy similar support,” he said.

The NDC chieftain also alleged that there were widespread irregularities during the bye-election, claiming that electoral materials were compromised and that security agencies worked in favour of the eventual winner.

According to him, the exercise lacked transparency and failed to reflect the actual participation of voters across the senatorial district.

Eze further claimed that ballot papers were thumb-printed in several locations and that result sheets were diverted before election day.

“It wasn’t strange, therefore, that they manufactured 163,000 votes in favour of the APC candidate. Without BVAS accreditation, fictitious results could easily be posted,” he said.

Speaking about his ward, Ejuona/Uwani in Nsukka Local Government Area, Eze maintained that voter turnout was low despite reports of high vote totals in the final results.

“Many people in my ward did not even know there was an election. Only a few people voted, but later we heard that our 17 polling units produced more than 5,000 votes,” he said.

He called on electoral authorities and relevant stakeholders to investigate the conduct of the bye-election and ensure that future polls reflect the genuine will of the electorate.