The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has scheduled Monday, October 26, 2026, for the inauguration of its National Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 general elections, as the party prepares to present Certificates of Return to its candidates contesting for various political offices.
The party disclosed that the activities would take place during its third National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at JD Event Centre, Kashim Ibrahim Way, opposite A-Class Park, Maitama, Abuja. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.
According to the NDC, the meeting will bring together key members of its leadership to review the party’s preparations for the elections, unveil its campaign structure and address issues relating to its finances.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, announced the arrangements in a statement issued on Saturday.
He said the unveiling of the National Campaign Council would be one of the major highlights of the meeting, alongside the presentation of Certificates of Return to candidates for their respective offices.
The NDC explained that its campaign structure would cover all levels of the 2027 elections, including the presidential, National Assembly, governorship and state Houses of Assembly contests.
The arrangement is expected to provide a coordinated framework for the party’s candidates as political activities gradually intensify ahead of the polls.
The party also announced plans to publicly present its statement of account during the NEC meeting, describing the move as part of its commitment to transparency and accountability in the management of its finances.
In the statement, the NDC challenged other political parties, particularly the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), to adopt similar measures by making their financial records available for scrutiny.
The statement read, “A major highlight of the meeting will be the release and presentation of the party’s Statement of Account by the National Treasurer. This is in deference to our avowed commitment to the principles of transparency and accountability. In this regard, we challenge other political parties, especially the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), to emulate this level of openness and transparency in the management of their finances.
“For the NDC, it is no longer politics as usual.”
The party’s decision to make its financial statement part of the NEC meeting comes as political parties prepare for the next general elections, with campaign organisations, candidate selection and funding expected to play important roles in their preparations.
Beyond the planned disclosure, the NDC also used the announcement to explain why its financial resources were not as substantial as they could have been.
The party attributed the situation partly to the economic difficulties facing Nigerians, claiming that many of its candidates struggled to pay for the Expression of Interest forms required to pursue their political ambitions.
According to the party, approximately 80 per cent of its candidates could not afford the forms, forcing the leadership to provide them free of charge.
The NDC said the decision was necessary to enable the affected candidates to participate in the party’s electoral process despite their financial circumstances.
It also rejected what it described as public speculation about its finances, insisting that the cost of supporting candidates had affected the resources available to the party.
The statement read, “Our finances would have been more robust. However, contrary to speculations in the public domain, and due to the level of poverty, hunger and deprivation in the country occasioned by the rudderless APC and its amorphous economic policies, about 80% of our candidates could not afford the Expression of Interest forms. The party had to issue forms to such candidates free of charge.”
The NDC’s remarks amount to a criticism of the federal government’s economic policies under the APC, which the opposition party blamed for the hardship it said had affected its members and candidates.
However, the claim that about 80 per cent of its candidates could not afford the forms was presented by the party itself, and no independent figures were provided in the statement to verify the assertion.
The provision of free Expression of Interest forms also raises questions about how smaller political parties can finance their operations while attempting to attract candidates across the country’s different electoral constituencies.
For the NDC, the decision appears to be part of its effort to accommodate aspirants who might otherwise have been unable to participate because of financial constraints.
The party maintained that it was prepared to offer Nigerians an alternative political platform and said its preparations for the 2027 elections were gathering momentum.
It expressed confidence in its ability to build a campaign organisation capable of supporting its candidates at the federal and state levels.
Director said the party was ready to pursue what it described as a new approach to leadership and governance, urging Nigerians to support its political project.
The statement concluded, “The NDC is turbo-charged and ready to give Nigerians the altruistic leadership the nation deserves. A New Nigeria is Possible. We can do it!”
