NDC Crisis: BD Lawan Rejects Protest By Six Guber Candidates

A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), BD Lawan, has rejected a purported protest by six governorship candidates of the party over his recent admission into the party and appointment as its leader in the North-East.

Lawan, in a statement reacting to the controversy, said the purported protest was being circulated on social media and alleged that it was organised by a female aspirant to the NDC governorship ticket in Adamawa State.

He, however, disclosed that Professor Mohammed Sani Yahaya of Taraba State and Dr Babayo Ardo of Gombe State had contacted him to dissociate themselves from the document.

According to Lawan, the two politicians indicated that their names and signatures might have been included in the document without their knowledge or authorisation.

He said he was not perturbed by the development, insisting that his appointment was a matter for the national leadership of the party, which, according to him, recruited him and announced his leadership role in the North-East and North-Central zones.

Lawan said he neither sought the position nor received a formal offer before the announcement, but accepted it in good faith as a mark of respect for Senator Dickson, Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso.

The NDC chieftain said his entry into the party had generated opposition because of the political implications of the 2027 elections.

He alleged that some individuals within the NDC were working against the proposed Obi-Kwankwaso presidential ticket and accused unnamed interests of attempting to infiltrate the party in order to undermine its electoral prospects.

Lawan also alleged that the protest was connected to concerns over the influence he could bring to the NDC campaign in the North-East.

He particularly criticised the Adamawa governorship aspirant whom he alleged was behind the protest, questioning her activities and organisational presence in the state.

Lawan claimed that several NDC candidates in Adamawa State had been nominated by the aspirant and that their nomination and expression-of-interest forms were financed by her.

He also claimed that during a visit to Adamawa between August 25 and September 10, he observed little visible NDC activity across the state’s 21 local government areas, apart from a poster belonging to a House of Representatives aspirant in Gombi.

The NDC chieftain further alleged that the aspirant had attempted to replace existing party executives in Adamawa with her preferred nominees, but that the move was rejected by the party’s National Working Committee.

He claimed that similar disputes had occurred during her previous membership of the APC and ADC.

Lawan urged NDC members and supporters across the North-East to remain focused on the 2027 elections and disregard what he described as attempts to create division within the party.

He said the party’s governorship candidates should recognise that the elections would also involve contests for the Senate, House of Representatives and state Houses of Assembly across the six states of the North-East.

According to him, the popularity of the party’s presidential ticket would have implications for candidates contesting other elective positions.

Lawan also called on NDC supporters to remain vigilant on election day, urging them to monitor the sorting and counting of ballots, ensure that results were correctly entered on result sheets and follow the process through the various collation centres.

He expressed confidence that the 2027 elections would be conducted transparently and said vigilance would help prevent manipulation of results.

Lawan urged members of the party to concentrate on campaigning and preparations for the elections rather than internal disagreements.