By Lateef Ibrahim
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has moved to reinforce its claim of nationwide political presence ahead of the 2027 general elections by releasing the names of its governorship candidates in 12 states where reports had questioned its readiness for the polls.
The party dismissed reports that it lacked governorship candidates in the affected states, insisting that it had completed the nomination of candidates in all 28 states where governorship elections are scheduled to take place in 2027.
The NDC National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, made the clarification in a statement issued on Saturday.
According to Director, the party is not a regional political platform but a national movement with structures, supporters and candidates across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
To counter the reports, the party published the names of its candidates in the 12 states said to be without NDC governorship candidates.
The list includes Senator Kabiru Marafa for Zamfara State, retired Rear Admiral Ibrahim Sanusi Kasim for Borno and Hon. John Odey for Cross River.
Others are Babanta Michael Okon in Akwa Ibom, Nwofe Boniface in Ebonyi, Yakubu Solomon Ndam in Plateau and Ilu-Barde Aliyu in Katsina.
The party also named Alhaji Umar Usman Besse as its candidate in Kebbi State, Jonga Yahaya Gabakau in Yobe, Dutse Aminu Sani in Jigawa, Prof. Yahaya Mohammed Sani in Taraba and Abdu Sidi Bomi in Niger State.
The clarification comes as political parties intensify preparations and mobilization ahead of the 2027 elections, with the strength of their structures and ability to field candidates across the country emerging as key indicators of electoral competitiveness.
The NDC urged media organizations, journalists, bloggers and other content creators to verify information before publishing reports concerning the party.
“We remain focused on issue-based politics and will not be distracted by sponsored falsehoods ahead of the 2027 elections,” the statement said.
By publicly listing its candidates, the NDC appears determined to dispel doubts about its organizational reach while projecting itself as a serious national contender ahead of the 2027 electoral contest.
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