Former Director of Mobilisation of the Obidient Movement, Morris Monye, has broken his silence over the controversy surrounding the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) House of Assembly ticket for Aniocha North in Delta State, alleging that he was unfairly substituted despite reports that he won the party’s primary election.
Monye made the claims in a lengthy post on his X account on Saturday, explaining that he had deliberately avoided speaking publicly on the matter for almost two months so as not to distract from what he described as the bigger goal of securing victory for Peter Obi’s presidential ambition.
He also disclosed that he travelled to the United States for a short vacation to “cool my head” before deciding to tell his side of the story.
According to Monye, reports of his replacement emerged after the defection of some APC political figures into the NDC in Delta State. He said the development prompted him to seek an urgent meeting with Peter Obi late at night.
“When news of this substitution started filtering in due to entrants of newly defected APC strongmen in Delta state, I had to run to H.E Peter Obi late at night to brief him on what and what was going on,” he wrote.
Monye claimed that those behind the substitution justified the move by alleging that he had lost the party’s primary election. He, however, insisted that the result announced in his constituency did not reflect what transpired.
“The narrative from the new entrants was I lost primaries to justify the substitution. The returning officer wrote a result to favour the said person. I just assumed the right thing was done. That was the legality used by the powers that be in Delta North,” he alleged.
The politician stressed that he was not seeking special treatment from the party but wanted what he described as the rightful winner to be recognised.
“I am not asking for free ticket. All I wanted was the rightful winner being declared as winner,” he said.
Monye disclosed that Obi expressed concern after listening to his complaints and advised him to report issues immediately whenever they arise.
“PO was deeply concerned about all that and stressed that I had to communicate problems ‘as e dey hot’,” he stated.
He added that after discussions with Obi and several other leaders, including Dr. Tanko, Dr. Mo, Mama Pee, Peter Akah, Esther and Ibrahim, he decided to abandon any legal or political challenge over the ticket.
“After much deliberation on the way forward and fatherly counsel from PO… I decided not to pursue my own election matter any longer out of respect for our Principal HE Peter Obi and the journey ahead,” Monye wrote.
The former Obidient leader maintained that his focus was not on holding political office but on seeing a better Nigeria.
“I am not desperate to answer ‘Honorable’ but I’m desperate to see a Nigeria that works for me, you and all our loved ones. Nigeria must work in my lifetime. It’s long overdue. We will be focused on the NDC Presidential candidate,” he added.
Monye also appealed to his supporters across Aniocha North to remain peaceful despite their disappointment, saying he had already spoken to them and would embark on a thank-you tour of the constituency to appreciate their support.
He further thanked Peter Akah and Caleb Garuba for standing by him throughout the dispute, saying they accompanied him on several efforts to resolve the matter.
The latest revelation comes months after reports emerged that Monye had won the NDC primary election for the Aniocha North State House of Assembly seat, pending official ratification by the party’s national leadership.
Monye’s comments also mark another chapter in his renewed relationship with Peter Obi. In May, he publicly apologised to Obi and members of the Obidient Movement over his resignation from the movement in 2025 and admitted that his criticism of the former Labour Party presidential candidate had been “childish” and driven by frustration. He said at the time that he remained committed to the vision of a better Nigeria and was determined to rebuild the trust of Obi’s supporters.