The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) will today unveil its National Campaign Council (NCC) as part of preparations for the 2027 general election alongside the presentation of its financial accounts and certificates of return to candidates.
The unveiling will take place at the party’s third National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for 10am at JD Event Centre Kashim Ibrahim Way opposite A-Class Park Maitama Abuja.
The party said the campaign council would coordinate its campaigns across all elective positions including the Presidency National Assembly Governorship and Houses of Assembly.
The NDC National Publicity Secretary Osa Director said in a statement that the council reflected the party’s commitment to an inclusive and innovative campaign strategy.
‘As a party of innovation our NCC is all-encompassing. It covers the Presidential National Assembly Governorship and Houses of Assembly Campaign Councils’ the statement said.
The meeting will also feature the presentation of Certificates of Return to candidates contesting on the party’s platform and the disclosure of its Statement of Account by the National Treasurer.
Describing the financial disclosure as evidence of its commitment to accountability NDC challenged other parties particularly the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to make their financial records public.
‘This is in deference to our avowed commitment to the principles of transparency and accountability’ the party said.
NDC disclosed that it had issued Expression of Interest forms free of charge to about 80 per cent of its candidates who could not afford the fees amid prevailing economic hardship.
The party blamed the situation on poverty hunger and deprivation which it attributed to what it described as the APC’s ‘rudderless’ economic policies.
‘Contrary to speculations in the public domain and due to the level of poverty hunger and deprivation in the country occasioned by the rudderless APC and its amorphous economic policies about 80 per cent of our candidates could not afford the Expression of Interest forms. The party had to issue forms to such candidates free of charge’ the statement said.
Reaffirming its readiness for the 2027 elections the party declared that it was determined to offer Nigerians an alternative to the existing political order.
‘For the NDC it is no longer politics as usual. The NDC is turbo-charged and ready to give Nigerians the altruistic leadership the nation deserves’ it said.
The party added: ‘A new Nigeria is possible. We can do it!”
Following the kick-off of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidential campaign by the All Progressives Congress (APC) the National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Bolaji Abdullahi has said the party would soon announce the date for the kick-off of its campaign for the presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar dismissing suggestions that the delay is linked to plans to expand its Presidential Campaign Council (PCC).
Abdullahi told The Nation yesterday that the party was working strategically on the campaign timetable noting that the delay had nothing to do with the composition of the campaign council or any alleged discontent among party officials.
He said the party was being strategic adding that APC only recently kicked off its campaign in Kaduna.
‘So we are also working on being strategic. So we will kick off our campaign very soon. It has nothing to do with whether there is a plan to expand the campaign structure or not. No. It has nothing to do with this’ Abdullahi said.
The ADC spokesman was responding to questions whether the party’s plan to expand the PCC had contributed to the delay in launching its presidential campaign.
He also rejected suggestions that the council’s composition had caused resentment among party officials who might have expected to be included particularly the national publicity secretary and national secretary.
Abdullahi questioned the assumption that the party’s national officers should automatically serve in the campaign council explaining that their responsibilities within the party remained separate from campaign assignments.
Responding to the omission of the national secretary and national publicity secretary of the party from the PCC he said: ‘The national publicity secretary is the national publicity secretary of the party so we cannot demobilise the party because of an assignment of two or three months.’
He said the campaign council already had enough personnel to carry out its assignment without disrupting the party’s regular operations.
‘We have enough people in the campaign council. It doesn’t stop the national publicity secretary from doing what he needs to do’ Abdullahi added.
He denied harbouring resentment over his exclusion from the campaign council insisting that the party’s arrangements had not affected his official responsibilities.
Asked whether he had any hard feeling over the council’s composition he replied: ‘There are no hard feelings. There is no ill feeling anywhere unless the one you people are hoping for; there are no hard feelings anywhere.’
The interview also featured an exchange over the description of the campaign as having ‘refused to take off’. Abdullahi objected to the wording arguing that it suggested a deliberate failure rather than the fact that the campaign had yet to be formally launched.
‘When you say the campaign has not taken off yes I will answer you. But when you say the campaign has refused to take off that’s a different thing’ he said.
The interviewer acknowledged the distinction and clarified that the question concerned the campaign’s formal kick-off which Abdullahi said would be announced soon.
He expressed support for journalists covering the party dismissing any suggestion of hostility towards the media.
‘I probably see myself as a journalist. So I will support any journalist’s work. I don’t regard this as a war’ he said.