The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) is set to make public the list of the candidates that will fly the party’s flag in the forthcoming 2027 general elections.
Recall that the party has insisted that the names of those who scaled through its primaries would only be made public after its National Executive Council (NEC) which eventually took place on Wednesday in Abuja.
Addressing the NEC, National Leader, Sen. Seriake Dickson appealed to members of the party, especially those that were not successful in the primaries to remain steadfast in their support for the party, adding that they should see it as part of the sacrifice they have to make to have the Nigeria of everybody’s dreams.
Dickson further called on the aspirants to continue to show the kind of love and support they have been giving to the party, irrespective of the fact that the party is barely four months old.
“I want to call for understanding on the part of our leaders at all levels, to call for understanding on the part of all aspirants. All of you have shown within this short period that you didn’t just come into the party to utilize our platform to contest, but most of you have proven yourself as financial members of our party. And so you have earned the rights to become stakeholders of our party.
“And so l call on you all, even if the outcome has not been favorable to you, take it that you may have lost today, you may win tomorrow, and that in whatever that has happened, it is the party that has won that proper decision”.
The former governor of Bayelsa state equally hammered on the need for reconciliation, assuring that the party will make out time to reconcile and appeal to all those who are still aggrieved in one way or the other to pull together to build the new Electoral culture.
“We will take on reconciliation. We will all take that decision, and it will be duly announced at this meeting. I call on all the chairmen, as they get back, consult with their leaders and put in place a mechanism for resolution for consensus building and for reconciliation”.
The National Leader further reiterated the position of the opposition party to introduce electronic voting in its subsequent congresses and National Convention.
According to him, what forced the party to do electronic voting was the shortness of time.
“I want to repeat what we said at the dinner, which is that this primaries we have done, will be the first and the last primary that will be done manually in the NDC. In the next couple of months, we shall unveil our platform for electronic voting for all primaries, congresses, and so on in the NPC, because we believe that there is enough provision, enough capacity, and expertise in the world, and even in this country to go for electronically driven electoral processes in Nigeria.
“Some of us have been fighting not only for electronic transmission of results, but even for electronic voting itself. And if Nigeria is not seeing reason and lagging behind, the NDC will show the way in terms of electronic voting, and we will be at the party of innovation that we are, the NDC will show the way very soon in terms of electronic voting.
“So for those who feel that outcomes have not met their satisfaction, we understand, we agree, we sympathize with you, but please bear with us. We are not as old as even the other party, and yet we are doing better than them. Still believe in us. Holf fast in your belief in the NDC and our mission to change Nigeria, and we will bring about.l processes that will lead the way, even within the party itself”.
In his remarks, the presidential candidate of the party, Mr. Peter Obi equally appealed to members of the party to continue to support the party, because those who lost today may win tomorrow.
“Mine is most sincerely, to continue to appeal for sacrifice. Please, I’m begging all of us to be able to be more tolerant, understanding, and sacrifice as you go through this. It is important that we’ll look at tomorrow. Let us not be occupied with the disappointment of today. Let us look at tomorrow. I assure you that we will continue to do better. We’ll continue to be a party”.
Obi equally charged the federal government to put an end to the troubling security concerns in the country, as kidnappings and killings have gradually become the order of the day in parts of the country.
