A disagreement has emerged within the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) after six governorship candidates in the North-East rejected the appointment of former SGF Babachir Lawal to lead the party’s activities in the region.
The candidates, representing the six North-East states, said they had unanimously resolved not to recognise Lawal as the NDC’s leader in the zone.
Their position was contained in a joint statement directed to the party’s national leadership and Senator Henry Seriake Dickson.
The candidates questioned the decision-making process behind Lawal’s appointment, arguing that key stakeholders who had worked on building the NDC’s structures and grassroots support in the region were not consulted.
They said the national leadership should have engaged the governorship candidates before assigning Lawal responsibility for the party’s activities and campaigns across the North-East.
The candidates emphasised the importance of local political realities and stakeholder involvement in decisions concerning the region.
They also raised concerns about what they described as the potential electoral implications of the appointment. According to their statement, they were not convinced that Lawal’s appointment would provide additional electoral value to the party across the North-East.
The affected states are Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe.
The candidates are Aishatu Dahiru Ahamed, Ibrahim Muhammad Kashim, Rear Admiral S. Kashim Ibrahim (retd.), Dr Babayo Ardo, Prof. Mohammed Sani and Ibrahim M. Shitu respectively.
They appealed to Dickson and other members of the national leadership to review the appointment and open discussions with the affected stakeholders.
The group said such engagement would help address their concerns and strengthen cohesion within the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Their statement acknowledged the NDC leadership’s efforts to provide a political platform ahead of the elections but made clear that their opposition to Lawal’s regional leadership role remained unchanged.
Lawal recently joined the NDC and was subsequently given responsibility for overseeing the party’s activities and campaigns in the North-East.
The latest development adds to the internal debate within the opposition party as it prepares its structures for the 2027 elections.
