BY OUR CORRESPONDENT – Officially firing the starting gun for the 2027 presidential elections, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has locked in October 20 to inaugurate its Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), setting the stage for a high-octane political season as the party consolidates its machinery to capture the presidency.
According to National Chairman of the party, Senator. Moses Cleopas, activities surrounding the PCC’s unveiling, signal a critical milestone as the party robustly prepares to mount a serious challenge in next year’s general elections.
Senator Cleopas, who disclosed the development at a media conference in Abuja on Saturday, explained that the PCC structure had been developed by the National Working Committee (NWC) and submitted for consultation with the party’s Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates.
He said the consultations are aimed at ensuring that key appointments reflect the experience, contributions and expectations of the candidates who will lead the party’s presidential campaign, while listing some of the key positions under consideration as Director-General, Deputy Director-General, Finance Director, Director of Mobilisation and Spokesperson.
The Party Chairman said the NDC decided on being detailed in making appropriate appointments to avoid disagreements that could disrupt its campaigns, adding that the opposition party had continued preparations for the 2027 elections in spite of public concerns about the timing of the PCC inauguration.
Senator Cleopas said both the Presidential Candidate of the party, Peter Obi and Vice-Presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, had been engaging Nigerians through consultations and town hall meetings, citing critical engagements in Rivers, Sokoto and Kaduna States with another town hall meeting is scheduled to hold in Enugu on October 15, 2026.
On preparations to ensure that votes are protected at the grassroots level, especially the polling units, the National Chairman disclosed that the party had begun preparations for the deployment of polling agents, with its state structures already activated.
He said the initiative has been designed to address challenges associated with election-day representation and strengthen the party’s capacity to protect votes during the 2027 elections, just as the party is working with its senatorial, House of Representatives, governorship and state assembly candidates to identify and prepare agents for their respective constituencies.
While emphasizing that vote protection must begin with voter awareness, the former Lawmaker challenged Nigerians to remain vigilant after casting their ballots and ensure that their votes were properly counted and recorded at every polling booth
The NDC Chairman, who also cautioned support groups against interfering in party administration, acknowledged that they are welcome as mobilisation vehicles, but the stark reality is that they must know their place by staying off the party internal administrative affairs.
Senator Cleopas also made it clear that while grassroots heavyweights like the OK Movement and the ‘Obidient’ Movement are vital assets, but they do not run the show, and hold zero authority to steer the party or hijack the duties of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC).
To prevent friction and damage to internal cohesion, the NDC chief drew a hard line in the sand, saying support groups are built for muscle, not management and should therefore operate within their assigned roles to avoid unnecessary friction.
Stressing that the bigger responsibility rests with constitutionally recognised party structures, the National Chairman said, “We are not against the Obidient Movement. We recognise its relevance, we need it, we value it and we regard its members as our friends.” – With NAN reports
