The appointment of Babachir Lawal, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, as the party’s leader in the Northeast region has been rejected by the six Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) gubernatorial candidates.
The candidates, representing Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states, conveyed their position in a joint statement addressed to the national leadership of the party, led by Senator Henry Seriake Dickson.
They said the appointment was made without consulting them or other stakeholders who had played key roles in establishing the party’s structures and mobilising supporters across the six states.
The candidates described their opposition as “collective, firm and final,” stressing that they would neither recognise Lawal nor accept him as the NDC’s North-East leader.
The appointment failed to reflect the political realities in the region, arguing that those actively involved in grassroots mobilisation should have been consulted before such an important appointment was made.
They also expressed concern that Lawal’s emergence could have negative consequences for the party’s electoral prospects in the North-East ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The candidates maintained that prior consultation would have allowed the national leadership to understand the concerns and political dynamics in each of the six states.
They consequently appealed to the party’s national leadership to reconsider the appointment and open discussions with the affected governorship candidates in the interest of unity, cohesion and the party’s electoral ambitions.
The statement was signed by Aishatu Dahiru Ahamed of Adamawa, Ibrahim Muhammad Kashim of Bauchi, Rear Admiral S. Kashim Ibrahim (rtd.) of Borno, Babayo Ardo of Gombe, Mohammed Sani of Taraba and Ibrahim M. Shitu of Yobe.
While acknowledging the national leadership’s efforts in creating a platform for political participation ahead of 2027, the candidates insisted that their rejection of Lawal’s appointment remained unchanged.
