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The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has directed its candidates for the 2027 general elections to begin consultations, sensitisation and grassroots campaigns as preparations intensify for the polls.

The party also announced plans to inaugurate its various campaign committees as it prepares for the presidential, National Assembly, governorship and State House of Assembly elections.

The directive was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the NDC National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director.

Director urged candidates to work with party stakeholders at the national, state and local levels in organising their campaign activities.

The party said the campaigns would be used to introduce its candidates to voters, strengthen its grassroots structures and communicate its message to Nigerians as a grassroots-oriented political organisation.

“To all candidates, we are directing that they begin their familiarisation, sensitisation and consultations. Similarly, local campaign events can now continue,” the statement said.

The NDC also instructed its state, local government and ward structures to prepare schedules for their respective campaign activities ahead of the 2027 elections.

“The party will soon release the composition of its campaign organs, which will be announced and inaugurated on a date to be announced,” it stated.

“We direct all candidates across the country to begin their campaigns. State chapters, local government chapters and down to the wards, should organise and draw up itinerary for their own local campaigns,” the party added.

While urging its members to intensify their engagement with voters, the NDC cautioned candidates and supporters against violence, abusive language and inflammatory rhetoric.

The party said its campaign would be based on issues affecting Nigerians and that it would not tolerate violent conduct from its members.

“In keeping with the ideology of NDC, the party reiterates that all campaigns must be issue-based and devoid of violence and foul language. The NDC has no room for violence,” the statement said.

The party also addressed the use of its logo during the ongoing preparations for the elections, directing candidates and members to continue using its existing logo featuring the two-finger victory sign for campaign purposes.

The NDC said it had consulted with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on a modification to its logo and had formally informed the electoral body of the change.

However, it said some administrative issues were still being resolved before the new logo could officially replace the existing one.

“For some reasons, however, there have been some administrative details which we’re working round the clock to resolve before the existing logo would be replaced with the modified version,” the party stated.

It added, “Until then, however, we enjoin all our candidates and members to continue to use the old logo, which is also the two-finger victory sign, for campaign purposes for now, pending the conclusion of all engagements and arrangements with INEC on the replacement.”

Earlier, the party’s presidential candidate, Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi formally announced the commencement of his 2027 campaign.

The former governor said he was motivated by the need to address the challenges facing Nigerians.

Obi said he was joining the presidential contest with the conviction that Nigeria could overcome its current difficulties if properly governed.

“I consider myself to be among those contesting to address the challenges Nigeria is currently facing. I join this contest with one firm conviction: Nigeria must work,” Obi said.

He also called for the 2027 election to be based on the competence and character of candidates rather than religion or ethnicity.

“The 2017 election must be guided by competence, capacity, compassion, character and commitment,” Obi said.

“Our campaign will focus on the urgent concerns of Nigerians and not on ethnicity or religion. Nigerians must reject and disregard any campaign driven by propaganda, ethnicity, religion or cronyism,” he added.

Obi said he and his team would travel across the country to engage Nigerians directly, listen to their concerns and develop policies around their experiences.

“As my team and I travel across the country, we will listen to Nigerians, understand their needs and concerns, and assure them that we have the competence, character and compassion to lead and reset Nigeria for the benefit of all,” he said.

He identified insecurity, poverty, hunger, poor education, the growing number of out-of-school children and inadequate healthcare among the major challenges that the next administration must address.

“Nigeria deserves leaders who will engage with them, listen to their concerns and present clear solutions to unite the country, defeat insecurity, lift people out of poverty, drastically reduce hunger and the number of out-of-school children, improve education and healthcare, and build growth that serves everyone, especially the most vulnerable,” Obi said.

Meanwhile, the Presidency has criticised Obi’s campaign launch as a “content creation press conference.”

The remark was made by the Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu, Daniel Bwala.

Bwala, in a post on X, accused Obi of failing to use the opportunity to clearly present his vision and mission to Nigerians.

“One candidate just did a world content creation press conference with empty rhetorics and unconvincing statements speaking to few recognizable media outlets and many unrecognizable fake news ‘tags on the mics,’” Bwala wrote.

He added, “He missed the opportunity to define his vision and mission; he was sounding like he is INEC setting the rules of engagement.”

Bwala further stated, “The truth is you cannot give what you don’t have.”

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The Adamawa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed reports that its 2027 governorship candidate, Tijani Galadima, deliberately stayed away from the unveiling of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidential campaign in Yola, the state capital.

The reports had sparked speculation that Galadima boycotted the event amid claims that the APC was considering replacing him as its governorship candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections.

However, the party’s Adamawa State spokesperson, Dogo Victor, dismissed the speculation, saying Galadima’s absence was official and known to the national leadership of the party.
Speaking to The PUNCH, Victor explained that Galadima was in Abuja attending a previously scheduled party meeting when the presidential campaign was unveiled in Yola.

“Our next governor, Alhaji Tijani Galadima, was attending a party meeting in Abuja when the presidential campaign unveiling was held in Yola,” he said.

According to him, the Abuja meeting had been scheduled before the timetable for the presidential campaign launch was released, making Galadima’s attendance at the meeting necessary.

Victor added that other APC leaders were also required to attend the Abuja meeting, stressing that both engagements were part of the party’s preparations for the 2027 elections.

He further denied reports of division within the Adamawa APC, describing the speculation as an attempt to create confusion within the party.

“The Abuja meeting was slated before the presidential campaign unveiling timetable was released, so Galadima and other party leaders had to attend the Abuja meeting, since both the meeting and the flag-off are part of strategies for the APC to win the 2027 general elections,” Victor said.

He maintained that the party remained united and focused on its preparations for the elections.

“Adamawa APC is too strong for street mischief professionals to distract it with paperweight allegations.

We are united and good to go,” he added.

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Bitter defeat as the All Progressives Congress, APC, has admitted that internal wrangling, disagreement over its candidate and complacency contributed to its defeat in the 2026 Osun State governorship election, describing the outcome as a wake-up call ahead of the 2027 general elections.

A chieftain of the party, Farouk Aliyu, made the admission yesterday during an interview on ARISE Morning Show, saying the APC “defeated itself” in Osun State despite deploying enormous resources and efforts to win the poll.

Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party won the election with 511,677 votes to secure a second term.

Aliyu said disagreements among party members over the choice of candidate affected the APC’s performance, with some members allegedly refusing to work for the party because they were unhappy with the candidate.

“We did everything humanly possible to win the election. There is a lot of internal wrangling among our members in Osun State. There are people who were not happy with the choice of our candidate,” he said.

According to him, the party must ensure in future elections that its candidate commands broad support among its members.

“Some members of our party did not do what they were supposed to do out of anger because they didn’t like our candidate. That is the major internal problem we had; APC defeated itself in Osun State,” Aliyu said.

According to him, the party must ensure in future elections that its candidate commands broad support among its members.

“Some members of our party did not do what they were supposed to do out of anger because they didn’t like our candidate. That is the major internal problem we had; APC defeated itself in Osun State,” Aliyu said.

He declined to publicly identify party leaders responsible for the loss, saying the matter should be resolved internally.

Aliyu also faulted the APC for taking the Osun electorate for granted, saying some members assumed federal influence “would guarantee victory.

“Some thought the federal government would just come in and write the results. Our members and supporters took Adeleke and his movement for granted. What we ordinarily ought to have done in certain places, we didn’t do, thinking we would win the election regardless. That didn’t happen,” he said.

He also criticised comments made by APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, during the campaign, saying they contributed to the party’s defeat.

Aliyu, however, commended President Bola Tinubu for not deploying federal might to influence the election and praised the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for transparently uploading results on its IReV portal.

Meanwhile, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olabode George, Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, and pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, congratulated Adeleke on his re-election.

Obasanjo, who paid a congratulatory visit to Adeleke at his country home in Ede, charged him to sustain good governance and continue meeting the needs of the people.

“Continue to deliver good governance .Continue to meet the needs of your people,” Obasanjo told the governor.

Responding, Adeleke thanked the former President and promised not to disappoint the people of Osun.

“Baba, I thank you for this surprise visit. I promise never to disappoint God, Osun people and all lovers of democracy who made our victory possible,” he said.

Soludo said Adeleke’s victory reflected the confidence of Osun voters in his administration, while urging political actors to embrace peace and unity.

Afenifere described the election as free, fair and credible, commending INEC and Osun voters for ensuring that the will of the people prevailed.

The group, however, said the country must continue to strengthen the electoral system ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Also, the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, urged Adeleke to run an inclusive administration and ensure equitable distribution of appointments,

Intrigues that cost Oyebamiji, APC victory

Meanwhile, the All Progressive Congress, APC, in Osun state, on Saturday lost the governorship election with over 66,000 votes to the Accord Party’s Ademola Adeleke after an intense battle for the seat.

Vanguard’s checks showed that high-wire intrigues and behind the scene of campaigns led to the failure of the party and its governorship candidate, Mr Bola Oyebamiji.

The biggest factor, Vanguard gathered is the intense battle for 2027 general elections and the need to save the APC from losing the Presidency. It was gathered that while the party chairmen were busy campaigning and calling for votes in the state, the APC strategists in the presidency were looking at means of uniting the incumbent Governor Adeleke with the APC structure to secure the state ahead of the general election.

Recall that during the peak of the PDP crisis, Governor Adeleke made moves to join the APC but he was blocked by powerful forces from the state on the ground that the party will defeat him at the governorship poll. Also some APC forces within and outside the state were hell-bent on bringing him to the APC owing to his popularity and street credibility specially among the workers and the youths.

While the party and stakeholders were finalizing strategy to deploy for the election success in the morning of the election, it was gathered that some persons in the Presidency were discussing with the Adeleke dynasty on joining forces to deliver bulk votes for President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Vanguard