No fewer than 37 candidates of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) vying for various elective offices in Adamawa State have rejected the appointment of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Babachir David Lawal to lead the party’s political activities in the North‑East.
The candidates, including the party’s governorship candidate in the state, Senator Aishatu Ahmed Dahiru, popularly known as Binani, described Lawal as a “toxic politician,” saying his political antecedents and recent conduct could damage the party’s fortunes in the region.
They include one governorship, three senatorial, eight House of Representatives and 25 State Assembly candidates.
The development has deepened a crisis within the NDC after a bitter exchange between Lawal and Binani, following an earlier rejection of his appointment by six NDC governorship candidates in the North‑East.
At a press conference in Yola on Thursday, the 37 candidates called on the national leadership of the party to reconsider Lawal’s appointment, insisting they would not recognise him as the party leader in the North‑East. The candidates said they recognise former Kano State governor and presidential candidate Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as their leader in the North.
In a strongly worded response to Lawal’s recent attacks on Binani and other NDC governorship candidates, the Binani campaign organisation accused the former SGF of engaging in “destruction rather than building” since joining the party. The statement, signed by the campaign’s Director of Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Mathias Yohanna, said Binani and other party leaders would not be intimidated by what it described as Lawal’s “indecent language” and personal attacks.
The campaign took particular exception to Lawal’s reported description of some NDC governorship candidates in the North‑East as “so‑called gubernatorial” candidates and “nincompoops,” adding: “While we respect elders who stand for the truth, our respect should not be taken for granted.”
It also questioned Lawal’s claimed electoral influence, asking whether his political strength alone could deliver the entire North‑East to the party, and accused him of pursuing divisive politics. The campaign urged Lawal to focus on building unity within the party.
The statement noted that Binani participated in a democratically convened meeting of NDC governorship candidates where decisions affecting the zone were taken, and insisted that the decision to recognise Kwankwaso as the party’s leader in the North remained unchanged. It called on the national leadership of the NDC to intervene and prevail on Lawal to respect the decision of the majority.
“We wish to call on the national leadership of our great party to draw the attention of Mr Babachir Lawal to listen to the voice of reason under the noble principle of majoritarian decision to ensure peace and tranquillity reigns in our great party,” the statement said.
The dispute follows Lawal’s recent announcement as the politician to oversee the NDC’s political activities and campaign operations in the North‑East ahead of the 2027 elections. The party’s national leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, described him as an experienced political mobiliser. The appointment has since met resistance from several governorship candidates in the region, raising fresh questions about the party’s internal cohesion ahead of the 2027 polls.
