THE Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has announced plans to inaugurate its presidential campaign council for the 2027 general election on October 20, as the party continues consultations over key appointments.
News Point Nigeria reports that Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, is the party’s presidential candidate, while Rabiu Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, is his running mate.
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Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Saturday, NDC National Chairman Cleopas Zuwoghe said the party had prepared the campaign council’s organogram but was consulting its presidential and vice-presidential candidates on key appointments.
Zuwoghe explained that the party was taking time to finalise the appointments to avoid selecting officials whose loyalties could undermine its campaign.
“It is a sensitive election that we are going into. And we must check characters. It is not today you appoint one DG of your campaign. And in the middle of the campaign, you will hear that your DG is one leg in the NDC, one leg somewhere else,” he said.
“And will jeopardise the whole hope of this country. So they have to check and double-check.”
The party chairman disclosed that the NDC had proposed a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting for October 20, during which it would formally inaugurate the presidential campaign council and issue certificates of return to its candidates.
“And to let you know, we have proposed a NEC meeting for the 20th of this month, and today is the 10th,” Zuwoghe said.
“So on the 20th of this month, we shall have a NEC meeting, and in that next meeting, what we intend to achieve is to formally inaugurate our presidential campaign council. Also, as a party, to give certificates of return.
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“We’re the ones who give candidates tickets now. So we should be able to give our candidates certificates of return that these people are our party candidates. And we had intended to have a dinner with all our candidates to build synergy.”
He said the planned activities would enable the party to commence its campaign activities in earnest.
Zuwoghe, however, insisted that the NDC had not been inactive despite what some people might assume about its level of preparedness.
“But from that point, we can hit the ground running. But let me also let you know, the NDC has not been very silent, as some people would assume and say.
“We have been in Sokoto, we have been in Kaduna, on the 15th, we shall be in Enugu. So it is not to mean that we have not been working. But you know, there is a pattern that we are used to.
“And that pattern shall be unveiled in the next couple of days. As I said earlier, NDC is building an institution that shall uplift us. And that is why we are always very passionate about youth,” the chairman said.
In August, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) opened the campaign window for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections.
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The commission also officially opened campaigns for the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections in September.
The NDC’s planned October 20 inauguration comes amid preparations by political parties for the 2027 general election, with the party saying it is consulting its presidential and vice-presidential candidates before finalising appointments to its campaign council.
