Party says presidential candidate and running mate will nominate key officials as preparations intensify for 2027 election
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) says it is at an advanced stage of constituting and inaugurating its Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The party said its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, have been given the authority to nominate candidates for several key positions on the campaign council.
According to a statement by the NDC National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, the positions include Director-General, Deputy Director-General (North), campaign spokesman and deputy, Head of New Media, Finance Director and Deputy Finance Director, among others.
The party said Obi and Kwankwaso had held several meetings with National Leader, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, and other party leaders as part of efforts to finalise the campaign structure.
It said a comprehensive organogram for the council was prepared in August and forwarded to the presidential candidate and his running mate for their input, while nominations were also received from stakeholders across the country.
The NDC said the financial arm of the campaign would be jointly managed by the designated Finance Director and deputy, working with the party’s National Treasurer.
It added that campaign proceeds would be paid into a dedicated presidential campaign account, with oversight by officers nominated by Obi, Kwankwaso and the National Treasurer.
According to the party, the arrangement is designed to promote transparency in the management of campaign funds and ensure compliance with the Independent National Electoral Commission’s reporting requirements under the Electoral Act.
The NDC said a campaign timetable had already been proposed, but its implementation would depend on the completion of funding and fundraising arrangements to be led by Obi and Kwankwaso.
The inauguration of the council, which was initially planned for the first week of September, was postponed due to Obi’s travel schedule. The party said a new date and the final membership of the council would be announced after the two candidates submit their outstanding inputs.
The party also urged its candidates and support groups to avoid internal disputes and concentrate on the broader objectives of the party.
“There are no battles to fight within the NDC. The common opponent to defeat is the ruling APC,” the party said.
The NDC stressed that candidates contesting elections on its platform are candidates of the party and should therefore work towards a collective campaign structure.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the deployment of party agents across the country.
The party has directed its state and local government chairmen to meet with candidates and other stakeholders within two weeks to compile separate lists of agents for the National Assembly elections and the governorship and State Assembly polls.
The lists will subsequently be reviewed and ratified by the party leadership, including Obi and Kwankwaso, before the selected agents undergo training.
The process will be overseen by a committee headed by the Deputy National Chairman (South), Comrade Babatunde Alli, with Vin Martin Ilo serving as secretary. Other members include Yunusa Tanko, Nafiu Dankura and the party’s six zonal National Vice Chairmen.
The development comes days after the NDC distanced itself from a separate 59-member campaign council announced by the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, saying the structure had not been authorised by the party’s National Working Committee.