A FRESH wave of internal tensions is threatening to unsettle the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as the opposition party grapples with disagreements over its identity, leadership, candidate selection and the delicate task of integrating the political structures associated with its presidential and vice-presidential candidates, Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In this Sunday Political features, News Point Nigeria dissects and analyses the situation, examining the growing disagreements within the NDC, the public altercation between aides of Obi and national leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, the controversy surrounding the party’s logo, disputes arising from its primaries, the rebellion in some state chapters and the efforts by the national leadership to reconcile its increasingly restive members.
At the centre of the latest controversy is a social media altercation between Esther Umoh, an aide and official photographer to Obi, and Theo Abu Agada, the party’s Director of New Media and Strategic Communications. What began as a disagreement over the party’s failure to provide sufficient clarity on its official logo has exposed deeper questions about communication, authority and the relationship between the party’s established structures and the political machinery that accompanied Obi and Kwankwaso into the NDC.
Umoh had accused the party leadership of negligence over the confusion surrounding the logo to be used by candidates and supporters ahead of the 2027 election. Her concern is that different versions of the NDC symbol are being circulated, creating uncertainty at the grassroots and potentially jeopardising the chances of candidates who may inadvertently campaign with a symbol that is not officially recognised.
The controversy is particularly sensitive because the party’s symbol is already entangled in legal and registration disputes.
Reports surrounding the party’s registration indicated that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had previously stalled on accepting the NDC logo partly because its raised two-finger victory sign was considered similar to the broom symbol of the All Progressives Congress (APC). There is also a separate claim by the Peace Movement Party (PMP) concerning the NDC’s symbol, following an earlier application by the PMP involving the victory-sign symbol.
Beyond the logo dispute, a suit challenging the Federal High Court ruling ordering the non-recognition of the NDC as a valid political party is currently before the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, with the NDC as the appellant.
It was against this complicated backdrop that Umoh took the matter to social media, calling on the NDC leadership to urgently clarify which logo had been officially approved and recognised by INEC.
In an X post directed at Abu Agada, Umoh urged the party’s communications machinery to address the matter decisively, arguing that the uncertainty could create serious problems for candidates and supporters as preparations for the election intensify.
She wrote: “Dear @TheoAbuAgada, in your capacity as a communications representative of the party, I respectfully urge you to ensure that @NigeriaNDCHQ addresses the ongoing issue surrounding the party’s logo decisively.
“With barely five months to the elections, there is already significant confusion at the grassroots.
“Candidates and supporters are uncertain about which logo to use on campaign materials, and this lack of clarity could affect the party’s cohesion, visibility and preparedness ahead of the elections.
“You have repeatedly stated that the party’s supreme leader is an experienced politician.
“I therefore believe he fully understands the electoral and political implications of allowing this uncertainty to persist.
“The party needs to issue an official communiqué to all state chapters and relevant stakeholders, clearly stating the party’s approved logo on @inecnigeria, and providing uniform guidance on its use.
“At this critical stage, the party cannot afford avoidable confusion or mixed messaging.
“We are working toward victory, and every decision, including clarity around the party’s identity and campaign materials must reflect that commitment.
“I sincerely hope the delay is not a sign that the party is unprepared or intentionally trying to sabotage our chances at winning. The NDC must act decisively to protect and strengthen its chances at the polls.”
Abu Agada, however, took exception to Umoh’s description of Dickson as the party’s “Supreme Leader”, describing the terminology as inappropriate and disrespectful.
He said the logo issue had already been brought before the national leadership and that efforts were underway to resolve it.
“Last week, I raised this issue with the National Leadership of the party and efforts are being made to address it,” he said.
“As an employee of the presidential candidate of our great party, the NDC, I find it disrespectful and completely unacceptable to refer to our national leader, my boss as a ‘Supreme Leader’ — a nomenclature that denotes an authoritarian regime, which Distinguished Senator Henry Seriake Dickson is not known for,” Abu Agada said.
He described Dickson as “a Democrat to the core” and urged Umoh to be “guided” in her choice of words.
The exchange, however, went beyond semantics. It brought into the open questions about how effectively the NDC has integrated the political structures and supporters associated with Obi with the party’s original leadership architecture.
It also raised a more fundamental question: is the disagreement over the logo merely an administrative problem, or is it symptomatic of deeper difficulties in managing the relationship between the established NDC leadership and the political machinery that came with Obi and Kwankwaso?
Umoh was apparently not satisfied with Abu Agada’s response.
In a follow-up X post, she returned to the issue, citing the situation in Delta State as an example of why the logo controversy could not be ignored.
“Case in point @TheoAbuAbuAgada. The governorship candidate of the NDC in Delta State has been putting in the work.
“Delta State is one state that is obidient to the core. He/we have a great chance at winning, but he/we can’t win with the wrong logo. Campaigns kick off on the 19th of this month.”
Abu Agada responded: “Let me make this abundantly clear: anyone who comes for me, I will defend myself and put the person (him, her, they) in their place. I take no prisoners.”
The issue became even more sensitive because information relating to NDC candidates had already started appearing on the INEC portal. The development has consequently increased pressure on the party leadership to provide a definitive position on its electoral identity and ensure that the same symbol is used across the states.
For a party seeking to establish itself as a major opposition platform ahead of 2027, inconsistencies in its identity could create avoidable confusion among voters, candidates and campaign organisations.
Party sources said Dickson did not find the public altercation between the two aides amusing and consequently moved to intervene.
He met with Obi and his running mate, Kwankwaso, on Thursday in an effort to douse the tension.
In an X post shortly after the meeting, Dickson said the three political figures held a “high-level consultative meeting to discuss the positive state of affairs of our party and to prepare for the forthcoming campaigns.”
He wrote: “It was a pleasure to have hosted our presidential candidate, His Excellency Peter Gregory Obi, CON, and his running mate, His Excellency Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, CON, by the grace of God, the next President and Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, at a high-level consultative meeting to discuss the positive state of affairs of our party and to prepare for the forthcoming campaigns, which are expected to commence later this month.
“We call on all members, supporters and stakeholders of our great party to unite, remain steadfast and work together for victory for all candidates of our party.”
It was not the first time Dickson had intervened in tensions between the different political tendencies within the NDC.
In June, he held a closed-door meeting with Obi and Kwankwaso after tensions emerged between the party’s established structures and supporters of the former Labour Party presidential candidate.
That disagreement followed complaints by some Obi supporters about their treatment within the new political platform, as well as comments attributed to sections of the NDC leadership.
Dickson subsequently met Obi in Abuja and urged members of the party to stop what he described as “bickering” and “name-calling”, directing their attention instead to the 2027 election.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the party to the latest controversy had not yielded results at the time of filing this report, as calls and messages to the NDC National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, were not returned.
A top party official, however, spoke in confidence and offered an explanation of the logo controversy.
According to the official, the party’s original logo remains the one legally registered with INEC.
He explained that the NDC had explored a new logo featuring a blue-and-white background and a digital fingerprint, but that the proposed change was subsequently withdrawn by INEC after a few weeks for reasons the party considered inexplicable.
The source said: “We know that when you have many ideas, things are always coming up. This recent one with the blue or white background and the digital fingerprint was an idea we came up with, and we sent it to INEC to change our logo.
“But there was a little politics around it. They uplifted it for a few months or a few weeks. But when they saw that we were becoming strong, they withdrew it and returned the old logo.”
The official, however, stressed that, legally, the original logo remains the NDC’s recognised symbol because it is the one registered with INEC.
He said the decision to withdraw the proposed logo was also influenced by litigation challenging its similarity to another political party’s symbol.
“They said we cannot change our logo less than one year of our registration, and that is neither here nor there because Section 79 of the Electoral Act 2026, which deals with registration of logo, does not specify any timeframe within which a political party can apply to change its logo.
“So when time is not specified you grant in the favour of the requestor. But we don’t want to go into that at the moment.
“What they said is that in the eye of the law, it is the old one that is our logo, because that is the one registered with INEC. The most popular one which is the digital finger is not yet registered but INEC is aware of it.
“However, we would have withdrawn it but we cannot because it has become a subject of litigation in the sense that the unknown party that took us to court that our logo resembles their own is also about the logo.
“If we decide to change it, it would be tantamount to changing the evidence as the case is ongoing.”
The official insisted that the controversy would not distract the party from its political activities, including preparations for its 2027 campaign.
He said the NDC would commence voter education once the campaign ban is lifted on August 19.
“But the party is not going to wait for them. Once the ban on campaign is lifted, as from August 19, we will decide to embark on an enlightenment campaign and voter education to inform all Nigerians that the old one is our authentic logo as the case may be,” the source said.
But the problems confronting the NDC do not end with its national leadership.
Across some states, disputes have emerged over candidate selection, internal control and the conduct of primaries, adding another layer of difficulty for a party attempting to consolidate its structures before the 2027 election.
In Jigawa State, the ADC is yet to resolve a dispute over the choice of running mate to its governorship candidate.
In Kwara State, meanwhile, aggrieved APC stalwarts are believed to be preparing to enter into a pact with the state PDP led by former governor and former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki.
In Oyo State, the APC has intensified efforts to present a united front in the 2027 governorship race. Former Minister Adelabu and the senator representing Oyo North, sources said, remain unhappy with the outcome of the party’s governorship nomination in the state.
Efforts to persuade them to support the party’s flagbearer, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, have reportedly not yielded the desired result, although some other aggrieved party stalwarts have decided to embrace the candidate.
Details of the peace-building efforts may be unveiled soon, according to sources.
The NDC itself is facing another internal battle in Oyo State, where a group of party members has petitioned the national leadership, demanding an investigation into allegations of abuse of office, anti-democratic practices and anti-party conduct against the state chairman, Mrs Oyeronke Akinlolu.
The petition, dated July 20, 2026, was addressed to the National Chairman of the party, Senator Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe, through the national secretariat in Abuja.
It was signed by Engr. Oshiariyo Stephen Adeyinka and co-signed by other members, with copies sent to the Deputy National Chairman, South-West, Alhaji Babatunde Ali, and the National Leader, former Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson.
The petitioners said they were acting in the interest of justice, internal democracy, party unity and the long-term development of the NDC in Oyo State.
They alleged that the state chairman had taken unilateral decisions without consulting the State Executive Committee or other relevant organs of the party, contrary to the principles of transparency and collective leadership.
They also accused Akinlolu of weakening internal democracy by excluding members from decision-making, discouraging open discussions and creating what they described as an atmosphere of intimidation.
The aggrieved members further alleged that more than 50 members had been removed from the party’s official Oyo State WhatsApp platform without disciplinary procedures.
They argued that the action had disrupted communication among members and deepened divisions within the chapter.
Amid the various disputes, the Obi-Kwankwaso, or OK Movement, in Enugu State has called on NDC members and supporters to close ranks and avoid actions capable of creating further divisions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The appeal was contained in a statement issued by the movement’s Chief Press Secretary, Ani Ifeanyi Moses, against the backdrop of concerns over activities it said were capable of creating confusion and distraction within the party.
The movement urged members to remain focused on the wider political objectives and resist attempts to create parallel structures, competing claims of leadership or misinformation that could undermine the party’s cohesion.
It stressed that unity was essential to the political project, particularly in Enugu, which it described as a strong support base for Obi.
The movement warned members against resolving political disagreements through public confrontation, insisting that disputes should be handled through established internal mechanisms and lawful processes.
“It is intentional to create division and confusion knowing that Enugu is the support base of Mr. Peter Obi, and we must resist it,” the statement said.
The OK Movement also urged members to verify information circulating on social media and other platforms through recognised leadership structures and official communication channels.
The crisis has also deepened in Kaduna, where supporters of the NDC’s governorship candidate, Mohammed Sani Abbas, have rejected allegations that his emergence was an imposition, while aggrieved members insist that no valid primary election was held to produce the party’s flagbearer for the 2027 governorship election.
The dispute followed allegations that the National Working Committee attempted to impose Abbas as the candidate in violation of the Electoral Act.
Addressing journalists in Kaduna, the Coordinator of the OK Movement and Protem Director-General of the Mohammed Sani Abbas Campaign Organisation, Alhaji Ibrahim Kaya, dismissed the existence of a crisis in the state chapter.
He insisted that Abbas remained the only duly recognised governorship candidate.
“We are here to update the public and correct the false impression that there is a crisis in the Kaduna State chapter of the NDC,” Kaya said.
He added: “His Excellency, Barrister Mohammed Sani Abbas, was duly confirmed and uploaded by the national leadership after due process. There is no other recognised governorship candidate of the party in Kaduna State.”
Kaya maintained that the NDC, registered by INEC in December 2025, followed due process in nominating candidates in line with its constitution and the Electoral Act.
He described disagreements among members as normal features of party politics rather than evidence of a leadership crisis.
“It is normal for members to have different political interests, but that does not amount to a crisis. We are one family in the NDC, and all issues will be resolved through reconciliation,” he said.
He dismissed claims that Abbas did not obtain nomination forms through the proper channel and insisted that the candidate was duly nominated and presented by the party on June 7, 2026.
Kaya also accused some party leaders of exploiting aspirants and promoting ethnic and religious sentiments, urging the national leadership to investigate and sanction anyone found culpable.
“We want politics devoid of ethnic, religious and sectional sentiments. Kaduna belongs to all of us, and we must work together to build a united party,” he said.
But an earlier statement signed by the Kaduna State Publicity Secretary, Isaac Tanko, painted an entirely different picture.
The aggrieved members insisted that no governorship primary election was held on May 29, 2026.
According to them, the party’s Electoral Committee, led by Prof. Silva Opuala-Charles, had directed the state chairman to convene a meeting of governorship aspirants to explore a consensus arrangement.
The meeting involving Ibrahim Hussaini Abdulkarim, Zariyi Yusuf Madaki and Mohammed Sani Abbas ended without agreement, while former Senator Danjuma La’ah later joined the race after purchasing nomination forms.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Kaduna State governorship primary election did not hold on May 29 because the Electoral Committee directed the state chairman to invite all aspirants for discussions on producing a consensus candidate,” the statement read.
“There was no consensus reached among the aspirants and, consequently, the governorship primary election scheduled for that day did not hold.”
The aggrieved members argued that recognising Abbas as the party’s candidate without conducting a valid primary would violate the Electoral Act.
They called on the national leadership to seek an extension of the nomination period from INEC and organise a fresh governorship primary.
“Our demand is simple: arrange for the conduct of a valid governorship primary election, either by consensus or direct primary, in line with the Electoral Act. Anything short of this will amount to imposition, which is undemocratic, illegal and unacceptable,” they said.
Faced with growing grievances, the NDC has begun an effort to put its house in order.
The opposition party constituted a seven-member National Reconciliation Committee to engage aggrieved aspirants, stakeholders and party officials, with the objective of restoring unity within its ranks.
The committee, chaired by political economist Prof. Pat Utomi, with Buba Galadima as co-chairman, is expected to address disputes arising from recent primaries, particularly in Kano and Edo.
Mrs Dudu Manuga, the party’s National Women Leader, will serve as secretary.
Other members include Mohammed Sani Takori as vice chairman, Babatunde Alli as secretary, Dudu Manuga, Salvador Moshood and Alhaji Haruna Pai.
The party also constituted zonal sub-committees for the North, South-East and South-South.
The Northern sub-committee is headed by Mainasara Abubakar, with Fatima Abba as secretary. Its members include Solomon Ndah, Tanko Yusufu and Toma Gana.
The South-East committee is chaired by Senator Victor Umeh, with Patrick Akwara as secretary. Members include Eze Chikamnayo, Patrick Chukwudi, Isaac Anumudu and Stefiny Eugene.
The South-South committee is led by Senator Ben Birabi, with Senator Clever Ikisikpo as secretary. Bishop Isaac Idahosa, Esther Archibong and Apostle David Okpon are members.
The committees have been mandated to reconcile aggrieved members, engage stakeholders and aspirants, address grievances arising from the primaries and promote cohesion, particularly by ensuring that members support the party’s candidates at all levels.
In Edo State, an NDC leader and former Chief Whip of the Senate, Rowland Owie, protested the emergence of Epelle-Osayuki as the party’s candidate for Edo South Senatorial District.
Owie said he was angry and disappointed by the decision, insisting that the INEC portal carried the picture and name of Sunny Aguebor as the senatorial candidate.
He accused a national officer of the party of being responsible for the alleged discrepancy.
“The truth is, fraud cannot stand. The duly nominated candidate for Edo South NDC is Sunny Aguebor.
“His primary election was monitored by INEC; we have the CTC of his nomination from INEC.
“The party uploaded the information to INEC. What they were trying to do was to put that lady’s name, but they couldn’t remove Aguebor’s picture.
“Whoever did it is a criminal; it is because we want peace in the party. Otherwise, such a person should have been arrested. It is a criminal act.
“The NDC is a corrective party; we can’t be part of fraud,” he said.
Another senior member, Senator Rufai Hanga, has already left the party, citing denial of political opportunities and inadequate consultation with his constituents by the national leadership.
Hanga, who represents Kano Central in the Senate, defected to the APC.
He had previously been a New Nigerian Peoples Party senator before moving to the ADC, from where he left to join former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso in the NDC.
Explaining his decision, Hanga said: “After these developments, I returned home and discussed with my constituents. They advised me to take a decision that would benefit them.”
The series of developments presents the NDC with a difficult political paradox.
On one hand, the party is attempting to position itself as a credible national opposition platform built around the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket and a coalition of political interests seeking an alternative to the ruling establishment.
On the other, it is struggling to manage the inevitable tensions that arise when established party structures meet large political movements with their own identities, expectations, loyalists and leadership traditions.
The logo controversy may therefore appear simple on the surface, but its political significance runs deeper. A party’s symbol is its electoral identity. It is what voters look for on the ballot, what candidates place on campaign materials and what supporters use to communicate allegiance.
That makes uncertainty over the logo more than a communications problem.
The disputes in Oyo, Kaduna, Edo, Kano and other states similarly point to the challenge of transforming a broad opposition coalition into a disciplined electoral machine capable of managing primaries, nominations, campaign structures and competing ambitions.
The creation of the Pat Utomi-Buba Galadima reconciliation structure is consequently one of the most significant developments in the NDC’s internal politics.
The party has acknowledged that it is facing serious disagreements following its recent congresses and primaries and that time is running short to resolve them before the election campaign gathers momentum.
At the inauguration of the committee, National Chairman Senator Cleopas Moses acknowledged the urgency of the situation.
“Time is short; time is running out,” Moses told party faithful in Abuja.
“We cannot waste our time and energy on individual ambition. We must all bring our best work together if we are to succeed in January.”
The chairman also acknowledged allegations of bias and financial misconduct surrounding candidate selection, warning that unresolved grievances, amplified by social media, could undermine the presidential ambition of Obi and Kwankwaso.
The committee is expected to submit its preliminary findings shortly after the commencement of official campaigns.
Accepting the assignment, Utomi pledged to pursue a transparent and fair reconciliation process.
“Parties succeed not because they never experience disagreements,” he said, “but because they have the wisdom to resolve them.”
Galadima, the committee’s co-chairman, acknowledged that reconciling the aggrieved factions would be “a very hard nut to crack”, but promised that the committee would leave no stone unturned in its effort to restore cohesion.
He reminded aspirants that only one person can emerge from every contest.
“Only one person can fly the flag of this party at a time,” he said.
Galadima also blamed aspects of Nigeria’s electoral framework for worsening conflicts within opposition parties, arguing that the process of candidate selection mandated by the Electoral Act makes peaceful primaries difficult.
“The process of candidate selection mandated by the Electoral Act makes it difficult for any opposition party to produce a flagbearer without rancor,” he asserted.
He recalled how disputes arising from CPC primaries once left him with a N150 million court judgment and years of legal battles, citing his personal experience as an illustration of the destructive consequences of unresolved internal party disputes.
Turning to the 2027 presidential contest, Galadima again criticised President Bola Tinubu and maintained that the opposition must unite behind a common objective if it hopes to defeat the ruling party.
Ultimately, the NDC’s immediate challenge is not simply whether it can settle a dispute between two aides on social media, resolve a disagreement over its logo or pacify aggrieved aspirants.
The bigger question is whether the party can transform its diverse political forces into one coherent structure before the electoral contest becomes fully intense.
The Obi and Kwankwaso political constituencies bring enormous enthusiasm, networks and voter bases. The established NDC leadership brings its own political structures, experience and organisational architecture. Bringing both together was always going to require negotiation, accommodation and a clear understanding of who exercises authority and how disagreements are resolved.
The latest controversies suggest that the process remains unfinished.
For the NDC, the coming weeks will therefore be decisive. The party must settle its logo question, reconcile aggrieved aspirants, resolve state-level disputes, reassure supporters, strengthen communication and ensure that its candidates are not distracted by internal battles.
The intervention of Dickson, the creation of the Utomi-Galadima reconciliation committee and the appeals for unity from the OK Movement all point in the same direction: the party’s leadership understands that it cannot afford to enter the 2027 contest deeply divided.
Whether those interventions will succeed, however, may determine whether the NDC’s growing political momentum becomes a formidable national opposition movement—or is weakened by the very internal disputes it is currently struggling to overcome.