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The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has unveiled a 118-member National Campaign Council for the 2027 general elections, naming its National Leader, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, as chairman and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as co-chairman ahead of the council’s formal inauguration in Abuja on Monday.
The campaign structure places the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, alongside key party leaders, former public office holders and political stakeholders in a coordinated effort to organise the party’s nationwide campaign. Blueprint reports
The announcement comes as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 elections, with the NDC seeking to establish its campaign machinery, consolidate its internal structures and mobilise supporters behind the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.
The party’s National Chairman, Senator Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe, was named vice-chairman of the council, while Kwankwaso will serve as co-vice chairman.
The National Secretary, Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu, was appointed council secretary, while Mallam Ibrahim Hussain Abdulkarim emerged as Director-General of the presidential campaign.
The appointments were announced in a statement released by the party ahead of Monday’s inauguration. The council is expected to provide strategic leadership, coordinate campaign activities and oversee mobilisation across the country.
Abdulkarim named campaign DG
Abdulkarim’s appointment as Director-General places him at the centre of the party’s presidential campaign operations.
An information and communications strategist and businessman from Kaduna State, Abdulkarim is an ally of Obi and previously contested the NDC governorship primary in Kaduna State without securing the party’s ticket.
His responsibilities are expected to include coordinating campaign activities, harmonising the work of different directorates and ensuring that the presidential campaign operates within a common organisational framework.
The campaign structure also features the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, as Director of Communication and Media, while Ikeddi Isiguzo was named deputy director.
Constance Ikokwu was appointed campaign spokesperson, while retired Major General John Enenche, a former military spokesperson, was named Director of Security and Intelligence.
The appointments bring communication, media engagement and security coordination into the formal campaign structure as the party prepares for a nationwide electoral contest.
The council also includes the party’s National Woman Leader, Dudu Manuga, alongside other political figures expected to contribute to the campaign’s strategic direction and mobilisation efforts.
Babachir Lawal, Omo-Agege, Utomi, others feature
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, was named chairman of the National Campaign Advisory Council, adding an experienced former federal government official to the party’s wider campaign structure.
Other prominent figures listed include former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, former presidential candidate Pat Utomi, former National Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change Buba Galadima and Senator Victor Umeh.
The list also includes Senator Sidi Bomi Abdul, the NDC’s Deputy National Chairman (North), and Babatunde F. Alli, the Deputy National Chairman (South).
Senator Victor Ogene was listed as chairman of the party’s House of Representatives caucus, while Muktar Usman was included in the House of Representatives caucus.
The council is supported by a 40-member National Campaign Advisory Council and 37 state campaign coordinators, reflecting the party’s intention to establish a structure that extends beyond its national leadership.
The composition brings together party officials, political figures and campaign operatives, although the effectiveness of the arrangement will depend on how responsibilities are distributed and implemented across the different levels of the party.
Inauguration follows new secretariat commissioning
The NDC is scheduled to inaugurate the National Campaign Council at 5 p.m. on Monday, October 26, in Abuja.
The inauguration forms part of a series of activities planned by the party, including its third National Executive Committee meeting, the commissioning of its newly acquired national secretariat in Jabi and the presentation of Certificates of Return to its candidates.
The NEC meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the JD Event Centre in Maitama, while the new national secretariat is to be commissioned at 2 p.m.
The council’s inauguration and presentation of certificates to candidates are scheduled for 5 p.m., followed by a dinner.
According to the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, attendance at the inauguration is restricted to members of the National Working Committee, the presidential candidate and his running mate, governorship candidates and National Assembly candidates.
The programme is intended to bring the party’s leadership and candidates together as it moves from internal preparations towards a more coordinated campaign structure.
The new secretariat is expected to serve as the party’s national administrative base, while the campaign council will coordinate its electoral activities ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections.
NDC promises people-centred campaign
In announcing the council, the party said the body would provide strategic leadership, coordinate campaign activities nationwide and mobilise Nigerians behind its vision of a new, just and prosperous country.
The NDC has presented its campaign as people-centred and issue-based, signalling its intention to focus on national concerns and its proposed alternative to the policies of the incumbent administration.
The challenge before the council will be to translate the party’s political message into a coherent campaign programme, sustain engagement with voters and coordinate its candidates across the country.
The campaign leadership will also need to establish effective working relationships between the national structure, state coordinators and the various directorates responsible for media, mobilisation, finance, strategy and security.
The council’s unveiling comes after earlier delays in its formation. The party had initially scheduled the inauguration for October 20 before moving it to October 26, citing the tight schedule of its presidential candidate, Obi, who had an overseas engagement.
The delay had drawn attention to the timing of the party’s preparations, with the NDC subsequently announcing the completed council ahead of the new inauguration date.
Grassroots mobilisation remains a key test
Beyond the appointment of national officers, the NDC faces the task of building and coordinating an effective grassroots network capable of supporting its candidates throughout the election cycle.
The party has previously announced plans to mobilise election agents through its state and local government structures, with the process expected to cover the National Assembly, governorship and state House of Assembly elections.
The Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, a support group backing the presidential ticket, has also established its own campaign structure. However, that organisation is separate from the official campaign council constituted by the party.
The distinction is significant because the NDC’s council is the party’s formal campaign organ, while the movement operates as a support platform for the candidates.
The Director-General of the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, John Ughulu, recently questioned the timing of the council’s formation and challenged the party to demonstrate that it had the grassroots capacity required for a nationwide campaign.
His criticism reflects a broader organisational question facing the NDC: whether the appointment of prominent political figures at the national level can be matched with effective coordination and mobilisation at the state, local government and ward levels.
The council’s performance will therefore be measured not only by its membership but also by its ability to coordinate candidates, communicate the party’s agenda and organise supporters ahead of the polls.
With the inauguration scheduled for Monday, the NDC is moving into a new phase of its preparations for the 2027 elections. The immediate task for Dickson, Obi, Kwankwaso and the campaign leadership will be to turn the newly announced structure into an operational platform capable of carrying the party’s message to voters nationwide.
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