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, as the party’s leader in the region.
The candidates, in a joint statement addressed to the NDC national leadership and its National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, said they would not recognise Lawal in the position, describing their decision as “collective, firm and final.”
According to the candidates, Lawal’s appointment was made without consulting them or other key stakeholders who had been involved in building the party’s structures and mobilising support across the six North-East states.
They said they had unanimously resolved not to recognise Lawal as the NDC leader in the region, arguing that political decisions affecting the North-East should take into account the views of those operating at the grassroots.
The candidates also expressed concern about the possible implications of the appointment for the party’s activities and electoral prospects in the region. They said they did not believe the decision would add electoral value to the NDC across the six states.
They maintained that consultation with the governorship candidates before the appointment would have allowed the national leadership to better understand the political realities and concerns in Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states.
The six candidates are Aishatu Dahiru Ahamed of Adamawa State, 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.
They appealed to Dickson and other national leaders to review the appointment and engage with the affected governorship candidates in the interest of party unity and cohesion ahead of the 2027 elections.
The candidates acknowledged the efforts of the NDC leadership in providing a platform for political participation but said their position on Lawal’s appointment remained unchanged.
Lawal joined the NDC shortly before being assigned responsibility for overseeing the party’s activities and campaigns across the North-East. His appointment has since generated disagreement among the party’s governorship candidates in the region.
As of the reports published on September 28, 2026, the NDC national leadership had not publicly responded to the candidates’ objection.
