By Ubong Usoro
The Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) has pushed back against attempts to discredit its internal democratic processes, describing allegations of wrongful exclusion from its presidential screening exercise as false, misleading, and aimed at undermining the Party’s credibility.
The Party was reacting to claims by former presidential aspirant, Abisayo Modupe, who alleged she was unfairly excluded from the presidential screening process.
According to the Party leadership, the claims do not reflect the facts, stressing that Modupe was not the only aspirant seeking the presidential ticket, as three other aspirants purchased nomination forms, participated in the screening process, and were evaluated based on the Party’s constitutional guidelines and established procedures.
The Party explained that while Modupe participated in the screening exercise, she was not cleared after undergoing the same assessment process applied to every aspirant.
DLA noted that no other aspirant at any level of the process has questioned the transparency or fairness of the exercise, insisting that the screening process remained credible and consistent with the Party’s rules.
Rather than exhausting internal dispute resolution channels, the Party said Modupe opted to take her grievances to social media in what it described as an unnecessary attempt to damage the Party’s image.
The Party maintained that discipline, accountability, due process, and respect for institutional structures remain central to its operations and warned against efforts by individuals to place personal ambition above collective interests.
DLA further argued that many political crises often emerge when personal interests override party discipline and institutional stability, stressing that leadership requires more than political ambition.
According to the Party, anyone aspiring to hold the nation’s highest office must demonstrate competence, responsibility, maturity, and respect for democratic processes.
The Party also dismissed suggestions that the matter was linked to gender discrimination, insisting it remains committed to expanding women’s participation in politics and continues to provide leadership opportunities for women across its structures.
The Democratic Leadership Alliance therefore urged the public to disregard what it described as misleading narratives, insisting the Party remains united, focused, and committed to offering credible leadership alternatives for Nigerians.
