Allegations of leadership interference have surfaced following the People’s National Congress (PNC) congress today, after election results for all contested positions mirrored a "leaked list" that had been circulating for two days.
Adhadhu has confirmed that the PNC leadership actively instructed members to vote for specific individuals during the congress. Adhadhu is also in possession of a copy of the list sent to members by the leadership. The results of all four votes held today aligned perfectly with the candidates named on that list.
Only two positions deviated from the leaked document: one representative for the Youth Council and one for the General Council.
"This list is being distributed with the claim that it comes directly from President [Mohamed] Muizzu. Everyone was instructed to vote according to this list," a senior PNC member told Adhadhu on condition of anonymity.
The source further alleged that the leadership exerted influence across all levels of the party to ensure the election outcomes were steered in a specific direction.
While eight candidates vied for the positions of PNC Vice Presidents, the six candidates featured on the government-distributed list were the ones elected. Similarly, out of 22 female candidates who contested for the party council, the 10 candidates included on the list secured seats.
In the youth category, six out of the 13 candidates who contested were elected, all of whom were on the list. One candidate on the list lost by a narrow margin.
For the 18 general seats on the party council, 73 candidates competed. Seventeen of those elected were on the list, with only one listed candidate failing to secure a seat.
The list obtained by Adhadhu had been leaked on social media two days ago by Ahmed Musthafa, a senior member of the opposition People’s National Front (PNF).
Musthafa claimed the lists were being circulated by Minister at the President’s Office Abdulla Nasir, Speaker of Parliament Abdul Raheem Abdulla, and MP Ibrahim Falah.
An unsuccessful candidate who contested for an internal party position told Adhadhu that today’s elections were "rigged." The candidate directly accused the party leadership of manipulating the vote.
"They conducted the entire voting process exactly how they wanted. This is a massive deception," the candidate said, requesting anonymity.
Despite the evidence of influence over the PNC congress elections, MP Falah, who presided over the congress, maintained that there was no malpractice.
"As I am presiding today, it is my great responsibility and duty to ensure that no errors occur and that the rights of all members are protected. I personally verify and check everything before sending the results to the elections committee for announcement," Falah stated.
The election was conducted via a mobile application, where members cast their votes by scanning a QR code. Voters were allotted a five-minute window to participate, and results were announced shortly after the polls closed. The official results were declared by Fuwad Thowfeek on behalf of the PNC Elections Committee.
