The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has agreed to allow its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to select key officials of the party’s presidential campaign council following a disagreement that delayed its formation.
Under the new arrangement, Obi and Kwankwaso will nominate the Director-General, Deputy Director-General (North), Director of Finance, Deputy Director of Finance and Media Director.
The party’s National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja, saying consultations with the presidential and vice-presidential candidates had progressed significantly and that the campaign council would be unveiled on November 20, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
The delay followed disagreements between the party leadership and the OK Movement, a support group within the NDC, over the composition of the campaign council.
Cleopas explained that consultations across the party’s leadership structures had delayed the announcement, adding that the National Working Committee (NWC) fully supported the decision to involve Obi and Kwankwaso in selecting key members of the council.
He said the candidates must have a say in constituting the campaign structure because they would lead the campaign and contest the election on the party’s platform.
“Constitution and inauguration of presidential campaign council is a responsibility of the party at the highest level. But the party itself cannot do that without recourse to the presidential candidate and the vice-presidential candidate,” he said.
The NDC chairman maintained that the delay was deliberate, stressing that it was better to take time to establish a functional campaign structure than rush the process and make mistakes ahead of what he described as a critical election for Nigeria’s future.
Cleopas also urged Nigerians to disregard reports suggesting that the party’s national leader, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, was not committed to the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.
He explained that Dickson had declined to use his position as party leader to emerge as the NDC’s presidential candidate and remained committed to the party’s success.
Cleopas described Obi and Kwankwaso as the best combination for the country, arguing that their ticket could attract support across religious, ethnic and regional divides.
He also defended the party’s decision not to conduct a competitive presidential primary, saying its leadership had been clear about its preferred political direction.
“We were clear on the direction we were going, and no regrets,” he added.
The chairman further identified young Nigerians as a major source of confidence in the ticket, citing voting demographic figures presented by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman at a recent event.
He said the NDC was positioning itself as a political platform for younger Nigerians while drawing on the experience of older political leaders.
