NDC Crisis Deepens As Six North-East Guber Candidates Reject Babachir Lawal’s Leadership Role

…Demand review of appointment, accuse party leaders of ignoring regional stakeholders

Daud Olatunji

Six governorship candidates of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) across 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, who declared their opposition in a joint statement addressed to the NDC national leadership and the party’s National Leader, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, said they would neither recognise Lawal in the position nor accept his leadership of the party’s North-East activities.

Lawal, who recently joined the NDC, was appointed to coordinate the party’s political activities and campaigns across the six North-East states ahead of the 2027 general elections.

However, the governorship candidates faulted the decision, alleging that they and other stakeholders who had built the party’s structures and mobilised support in the region were not consulted before the appointment was made.

The development has triggered an internal disagreement within the opposition party as the affected candidates insisted that political decisions concerning the region must reflect the realities and opinions of those operating at the grassroots.

In their statement, the candidates said, “After due consideration, we have unanimously resolved not to recognise Engr. Babachir Lawal as the Leader of the NDC in the North-East, and we will not recognise him as such.”

They argued that the decision could have implications for the party’s electoral prospects across Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states.

According to them, adequate consultation with the governorship candidates would have enabled the national leadership to understand the political dynamics and concerns peculiar to each of the six states.

The candidates also questioned the expected electoral value of Lawal’s appointment, saying they were not convinced that the decision would strengthen the party’s chances in the region.

They stressed the importance of grassroots participation in political decision-making, declaring that “politics is local.”

The candidates consequently called on Dickson and other national leaders of the party to review Lawal’s appointment and engage the affected stakeholders in order to resolve the dispute.

They said such engagement was necessary to protect party unity and cohesion ahead of the 2027 elections.

The statement was signed by Aishatu Dahiru Ahamed of Adamawa State; Barrister 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.

While acknowledging the efforts of the NDC leadership to provide a platform for political participation ahead of the 2027 elections, the six candidates maintained that their objection to Lawal’s appointment remained unchanged.

“For the avoidance of doubt, our position is collective, firm and final: we do not recognise Engr. Babachir Lawal as the Leader of the NDC in the North-East, and we will not recognise him as such,” they said.

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