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.
The candidates made their position known in a joint statement addressed to the NDC national leadership and National Leader, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson.
They said they would not recognise Lawal in the position, describing their decision as “collective, firm and final.”
The disagreement centres on the process through which Lawal was given responsibility for coordinating the party’s activities and campaigns across the six North-East states.
According to the candidates, they and other stakeholders involved in establishing the party’s structures and mobilising support in the region were not consulted before the appointment was made.
They argued that political decisions affecting the North-East should take into consideration the views and circumstances of stakeholders operating within the region.
The candidates said consultation with the governorship candidates would have allowed the national leadership to better understand the political realities across Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states.
They also expressed concern about the possible impact of the appointment on the party’s electoral prospects, saying they did not believe the decision would add electoral value to the NDC in the region.
The six candidates consequently called on the NDC leadership to reconsider the appointment and engage with them to address their concerns.
They maintained that their objection was not against the party’s efforts to provide a platform for political participation ahead of the 2027 general elections, but specifically against Lawal’s appointment without what they described as adequate consultation.
The statement was signed by Aishatu Dahiru Ahamed of Adamawa State, Ibrahim Muhammad Kashim of Bauchi, Rear Admiral S. Kashim Ibrahim (retd.) of Borno, Dr Babayo Ardo of Gombe, Prof. Mohammed Sani of Taraba and Ibrahim M. Shitu of Yobe.
The candidates reiterated that they did not recognise Lawal as the NDC leader in the North-East and called for further engagement with the party’s national leadership.
As of the latest reports, the NDC national leadership had not publicly responded to the candidates’ rejection.
