NDC set to ratify Peter Obi as Presidential candidate as Atiku visits Amaechi over ADC crisis

The Nigeria Democratic Congress is set to ratify former Anambra State governor Peter Obi as its presidential candidate today (Friday) during the party’s nationwide primaries, following his emergence as the sole aspirant for the ticket.

The party also announced that governorship, National Assembly, and state Houses of Assembly candidates would emerge across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, despite logistical disruptions caused by the Eid-el-Kabir holidays.

NDC National Chairman Moses Cleopas disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, noting that transportation challenges and flight unavailability had delayed some preparatory activities after the screening exercise in the FCT.

According to the statement, May 28 (Thursday) was set aside for arrivals, documentation with the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies, consultative meetings, and other preparatory activities ahead of the primaries.

The national chairman said party teams deployed to the states were also expected to use the day for engagements with stakeholders, elders, and aspirants.

Cleopas, however, warned that no state institution or security agency, including the police, Department of State Services, and INEC, was expected to participate in any of the May 28 activities. He added that any action outside the approved guidelines would be considered illegal and unauthorised.

“The primaries are still scheduled to be held nationwide on May 29, 2026, in keeping with the original May 28 and 29 timetable. However, in view of the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations and the resulting public holidays, major transportation and logistical challenges have arisen, including the non-availability of flights. Consequently, many aspirants who were in Abuja for the screening exercise, as well as members of the screening team, are currently stranded in Abuja,” Cleopas said.

He outlined the sequence for the May 29 exercises as presidential affirmation, National Assembly primaries or affirmations, state Assembly primaries or affirmations, and governorship primaries or affirmations.

The party further directed that all results from the states must be collated and transmitted to the national headquarters for announcement by the National Working Committee. “The respective teams will collate and process all results and forward them to the national headquarters, where the National Working Committee will announce the results. No state executive or team has the mandate to announce any results,” the statement added.

The NDC chair also appealed to members and aspirants to remain peaceful and orderly throughout the exercise, stressing that the party would not tolerate violence, disorderly conduct, or hooliganism during the primaries.

In a related development, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar visited former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi in Abuja on Thursday amid growing tensions over the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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