THE Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has disclosed that it has put measures in place to prevent political aspirants from riding on the popularity of Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to secure elective positions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The party said lessons have been learnt from the experiences of the 2023 elections, particularly the wave of defections and the emergence of relatively unknown politicians who allegedly leveraged the popularity of opposition figures to gain political relevance before later dumping their parties.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily monitored by News Point Nigeria, the spokesman of the NDC, Osa Director, said the party has adopted a more thorough and deliberate screening process to ensure only credible and committed individuals emerge as candidates under its platform.
According to him, unlike what happened during the 2023 elections, the NDC is taking extra caution in screening aspirants, especially those with little or no political background attempting to join the party ahead of the polls.
“We have learnt from the incident of the past that happened in the Labour Party, and that was why during our screening, we took particular special notice of the fact that a lot of people, especially people from the diaspora who have never participated in politics, rushed to get a form under the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC),” Director said.
He noted that many of the aspirants appeared to be attracted by the growing influence and popularity of opposition politics in the country.
“As you have said, [they did so] probably to ride on the Obi-Kwankwaso wave and also because they see that the NDC is a vibrant alternative platform to the mess we’re having in the country today, and we are conscious of all that,” he stated.
The party spokesman added that during the screening exercise, aspirants were questioned extensively about their political vision, credentials and commitment to the party.
“Even during the screening, most of them were asked all those questions [about their vision and credentials], so they know. And if you are not on the ground. Who is going to vote for you?” he asked.
Peter Obi contested the 2023 presidential election as the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), while Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso flew the flag of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
Ahead of that election, several relatively unknown aspirants reportedly joined both parties and secured elective positions. However, months after the elections, many of them defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a development that generated criticism and accusations of political opportunism.
Director said the NDC is determined not to repeat such mistakes.
“But the NDC spokesman said his party has learnt from that,” he stated during the interview.
“So, flowing from that experience, the NDC has also told all the aspirants that it is not going to be business as usual. We are going to check your pedigree,” Director added.
He stressed that the party would only issue tickets to individuals with verifiable records, commitment and alignment with the principles and values of the NDC.
“If you don’t have a verifiable pedigree and commitment to the party, to the principles and values that the party is espousing, then you are not going to pick a ticket and fly the flag of the NDC. So, we are learning from the mistakes of the past,” he said.
The development comes amid growing political realignments and heightened activities among opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.