2027: Six NDC Guber Candidates Reject Babachir Lawal as North-East Leader

Six governorship candidates of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, in the North-East have rejected the appointment of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, as the party’s leader in the region ahead of the 2027 elections.

The candidates made their position known in a joint statement addressed to the NDC national leadership and the party’s National Leader, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson.

Lawal joined the NDC days before the appointment and was given responsibility for coordinating the party’s activities and campaign efforts across the North-East.

However, the six governorship candidates said they would not recognise him in the role, arguing that the decision was taken without consulting them or other stakeholders who had helped build the party’s structures in the region.

They said political decisions affecting the North-East should involve those working at the grassroots because they have a direct understanding of the political situation in their respective states.

The candidates also expressed concern that Lawal’s appointment could affect the NDC’s chances across the six North-East states. They said they were not convinced that the decision would improve the party’s electoral prospects in the region.

According to them, consulting the governorship candidates before making the appointment would have given the national leadership an opportunity to consider the political realities and concerns within the region.

The candidates therefore called on Dickson and other national leaders to reconsider the appointment and open discussions with them in order to resolve the disagreement and maintain unity within the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

The statement was signed by Aishatu Dahiru Ahamed of Adamawa State, Barrister Ibrahim Muhammad Kashim of Bauchi State, Rear Admiral S. Kashim Ibrahim (retd.) of Borno State, Dr Babayo Ardo of Gombe State, Professor Mohammed Sani of Taraba State and Ibrahim M. Shitu of Yobe State.

The six candidates acknowledged the efforts of the NDC leadership to create a platform for political participation ahead of the 2027 elections.

They, however, maintained that their objection to Lawal’s appointment had not changed and that they would not accept him as the party’s North-East leader.

The disagreement comes as the NDC continues to build its structures across the region and prepare for the 2027 general election, with the latest development raising questions about the party’s internal coordination in the North-East.