•NDC zones presidential ticket to South, clears path for Obi
- Kwankwaso backs zoning, says South must complete eight years
- Dickson declares: “They laughed at NDC, but they can no longer ignore us”
- Obidient Movement aligns fully with NDC, calls for mass registration
By Our Correspondents
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) held its first national convention in Abuja on Saturday, with former presidential candidate Peter Obi quoting Winston Churchill to justify his consistent switch of political parties.
Obi, who recently joined the NDC after exiting the African Democratic Congress (ADC), addressed delegates at the Los Angeles Event Centre, where thousands of supporters braved heavy gridlock along Ahmadu Bello Way to attend the event .
Quoting the British statesman, Obi declared: “Some men change their party for the sake of their principles; others change their principles for the sake of their party” .
In his keynote address, Obi declared that the moment to rescue Nigeria had arrived, calling on all hands to be on deck ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Our choice as a people is therefore clear: whether to surrender to despair and national decline, or to summon the courage to rescue our country and rebuild it on the foundations of unity, equity, justice, competence, and productivity,” Obi said .
He painted a grim picture of the nation’s condition, stating: “Across the world, Nigeria is increasingly described as a failing and disgraced nation. This is not the destiny God ordained for our great country” .
Obi noted that across virtually every recognised indicator of good governance—accountability, political stability, rule of law, control of corruption, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, and the separation of powers—Nigeria continues to record alarming failures .
“The institutions that should protect the people are weakening daily, while the burden on ordinary citizens grows heavier with each passing moment,” he said .
Obi speaks on poverty, insecurity, and youth
The former Anambra State governor provided stark statistics on the nation’s challenges.
“Today, over 140 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty. Tens of millions of young people remain unemployed or underemployed. Inflation continues to crush families. Businesses are shutting down. Farmers can no longer safely access their farms. Communities live in fear. In this month alone, hundreds of innocent souls were aimlessly lost,” Obi stated .
He insisted that Nigeria’s challenges are not insurmountable. “Nations have recovered from worse situations when courageous people chose sacrifice over silence and patriotism over personal gain. Nigeria too can rise again,” Obi told delegates .
He called for a decisive shift in economic strategy: “We must move decisively from a nation of consumption to a nation of production” .
On youth empowerment, Obi declared: “Our youths must no longer be viewed as problems to manage but as assets to empower. Our women must no longer be neglected but included as equal partners in nation-building” .
Obi condemns assault on democracy
The presidential aspirant expressed regret over the state of Nigeria’s democracy.
“The most painful aspect of our political existence is that many who once benefited from democratic governance have now become willing accessories to the destruction of democracy itself,” Obi said .
He added: “Those who once fought for justice now openly celebrate electoral injustice. Those who once spoke against impunity now defend coercion, manipulation, intimidation, and outright political gangsterism, especially against opposition voices” .
Obi warned: “What we are witnessing is not politics; it is a systematic assault on democracy and the will of the people. Nigeria today stands at a dangerous crossroads. Our democracy is under severe threat” .
He also declared that Nigeria must not become a one-party state. “We must insist that Nigeria cannot become a one-party state. Nigeria must remain a democracy, and we are determined that in 2027, we will have free, fair and credible elections,” Obi said.
Dickson: ‘They can no longer ignore us‘
Senator Seriake Dickson, former Bayelsa State governor and NDC leader, delivered a defiant address at the convention.
“A few months ago, they ignored the NDC. They laughed at the NDC. But today, they can no longer ignore us,” Dickson declared to cheers from delegates .
He insisted that multiparty democracy must survive in Nigeria, warning against the country drifting into a one-party state.
“Multiparty democracy must survive in Nigeria. Nigeria needs a strong party in government as well as strong parties in opposition,” Dickson said .
He explained that efforts to register the NDC began in 2017, and the party finally secured a favourable court judgment, leading to registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in February .
“The NDC has come to stay. The NDC is good to go. The NDC has no faction, no crisis and no dispute,” Dickson asserted .
He described the NDC as a credible and viable opposition platform open to all Nigerians, adding that the party would take its message of change to every ward, polling unit, local government and state in the federation .
Dickson also announced that the NDC was determined to build an ideological political party similar to South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC), rather than a “transactional party” driven by election-season arrangements .
Kwankwaso backs zoning to South
Former Kano State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso at the event endorsed the NDC’s decision to zone its presidential ticket to Southern Nigeria.
“It is therefore with great sense of unity and solidarity that, as a loyal party member, I support the decision to zone the presidential ticket of the NDC to the South, so that it allows the region to complete its turn in producing national leadership,” Kwankwaso said .
He added: “This represents a true opportunity for national healing. We shall work in abidance with the party’s agreement to ensure fairness and federal character in all ramifications” .
Kwankwaso also lamented the state of the nation, saying: “Instead of positioning Nigeria to seize emerging opportunities, bad governance has left us bearing the brunt of global changes” .
“We are witnessing a sharp decline in the quality of life. Insecurity has created widows and orphans across the land. Millions have been displaced from their homes. Investments are fleeing, critical infrastructure is neglected, the education system is collapsing, and harsh economic policies have been imposed on citizens without meaningful safety nets or relief,” he stated .
He drew lessons from Nigeria’s history, recalling how alliances between North and South yielded productive results, including the coalition that birthed independence in 1960 and the NPN alliance in the Second Republic .
The endorsement followed the unanimously approval by the convention to zone the party’s presidential ticket to Southern Nigeria for a single four-year term .
Afam Victor Ogene, the member representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, moved the motion, which was seconded by Seyi Sowunmi, also a member of the National Assembly .
The convention also approved that after the single four-year term, the presidential ticket will be automatically zoned to the North .
The decision has cleared the way for Peter Obi and other aspirants from the southern region to seek the party’s presidential nomination .
Massive turnout causes Abuja gridlock
Heavy traffic congestion paralysed movement along Ahmadu Bello Way and surrounding roads in Abuja as thousands of supporters and delegates attended the convention .
Adjoining roads and major intersections were affected as party supporters, guests and political groups flooded the area. Supporters of the Kwankwasiyya Movement and the Obidient Movement were spotted chanting solidarity songs, dancing and celebrating around the convention ground .
The high points of the convention were the zoning of the presidential position to the South and the confirmation and inauguration of party officers.
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