By David Lawani
A fresh controversy is brewing within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) over the zoning of the House of Representatives ticket for the Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 general election.
The development followed a petition by a party chieftain, Mathias Akpofure, who called on the party leadership to reserve the ticket exclusively for aspirants from Udu Local Government Area, citing equity, fairness and political balance.
The petition, addressed to the Delta State leadership of the NDC and copied to the party’s National Working Committee and key stakeholders in Delta Central, argued that Udu should produce the next occupant of the seat after years of representation by Ughelli North and Ughelli South.
Akpofure maintained that allowing another candidate from either Ughelli North or Ughelli South to emerge could generate discontent among party members and undermine efforts to sustain unity within the constituency.
According to him, the principle of rotation and inclusiveness, which has long shaped political arrangements in the area, should be respected in determining the party’s flag bearer.
“Ughelli North and Ughelli South have produced House of Representatives members in recent cycles. It is now the turn of Udu LGA to be represented at the federal level,” he stated.
The party stalwart contended that denying Udu the opportunity to present the candidate would be viewed as a departure from established political norms and could undermine voter enthusiasm ahead of the election.
He also raised concerns over what he described as the concentration of political influence within a particular axis of the federal constituency, noting that individuals from the same area already dominated key political offices.
“Presenting yet another House of Representatives candidate from Ughelli North or South will concentrate federal legislative power in one axis. This contradicts our party’s principle of broad-based representation,” he said.
Akpofure further argued that Udu possesses the electoral strength, political structures and grassroots support necessary to deliver victory for the party in 2027.
He described zoning the ticket to Udu as both a matter of justice and a strategic electoral decision that could strengthen the party’s chances at the polls.
“In the interest of fairness and victory, I demand that the House of Representatives ticket for this federal constituency be zoned to Udu LGA only,” he added.
The petition also warned of possible political repercussions should the demand be ignored, reflecting growing tensions over succession plans and power-sharing arrangements within the constituency.
The agitation comes as political parties across Delta State begin consultations and strategic alignments ahead of the 2027 elections, with zoning and representation expected to feature prominently in intra-party negotiations.
Efforts to obtain the NDC leadership’s reaction to the petition were unsuccessful as of press time.
