Six NDC governorship candidates reject Babachir Lawal’s appointment as North-East campaign coordinator

Six governorship candidates of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the North-East have rejected the appointment of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, to oversee the party’s activities and campaigns in the region.

The candidates, in a joint statement addressed to the NDC national leadership and National Leader, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, said they would not recognise Lawal as the party’s leader in the North-East.

Their position comes days after Lawal joined the NDC and was assigned responsibility for coordinating the party’s political activities and campaigns in the North-East and North-Central zones.

Dickson had described the former SGF as an experienced political organiser and mobiliser whose network would strengthen the party’s structures ahead of the 2027 general elections.

However, the six governorship candidates said the decision to give Lawal the leadership role in the North-East was taken without consulting them or other stakeholders involved in building the party’s structures and mobilising support across the region.

“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 said.

The candidates argued that political decisions affecting the region should take into account the views of those operating at the grassroots, stressing that “politics is local.”

They also expressed concern that Lawal’s appointment could affect the party’s prospects in the six North-East states, saying they did not believe his emergence would add electoral value to the party in the region.

According to them, prior consultation with the governorship candidates would have enabled the national leadership to better understand the political realities and concerns across Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states.

The candidates therefore urged Dickson and other national leaders to review the appointment and engage them on the issue in the interest of party unity and cohesion ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The statement was signed by Aishatu Dahiru Ahamed of Adamawa State, Barr. Ibrahim Muhammad Kashim of Bauchi State, Rear Admiral S. Kashim Ibrahim (retd.) of Borno State, Dr Babayo Ardo of Gombe State, Prof. Mohammed Sani of Taraba State and Ibrahim M. Shitu of Yobe State.

The candidates acknowledged the efforts of the NDC leadership in providing a platform for political participation ahead of the 2027 elections but 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.

Lawal joined the NDC on September 22, 2026, about three months after leaving the African Democratic Congress (ADC). At the time of his defection, he declared support for the NDC presidential ticket of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso ahead of the 2027 election.

Dickson subsequently assigned him a leadership role covering the North-East and North-Central zones, with responsibility for providing guidance to the party’s candidates and campaign structures.

The latest development has created an internal disagreement over the structure of the NDC’s regional leadership in the North-East as the party continues preparations for the 2027 general elections.

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