Victory Is Our January 16 Target To Save Nigeria From Total Collapse— Babachir Lawal Tells Nigerians As NDC Inaugurates 118-Member Campaign Council

Victory Is Our January 16  Target To Save Nigeria From Total Collapse

 

OpenLife News reports that former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the National Campaign Advisory Council of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Engr. Babachir Lawal, has declared that the 2027 presidential and general elections will be won and lost at the polling units, warning that the party is fully prepared for a long battle.

Lawal spoke in Abuja on Monday at the formal inauguration of the party’s National Campaign Council (NCC) and National Campaign Advisory Council, an event that also featured the unveiling of the party’s new national secretariat in Jabi and presentation of Certificates of Return to candidates.

“The 2027 presidential and general elections will be won and lost at the polling units. We are prepared. Election day will be a very long day. There will be no retreat, no surrender!” Lawal told a packed hall of party leaders, candidates and supporters.

The inauguration caps weeks of internal negotiations over power-sharing within the new opposition coalition.

According to a statement released Sunday night by National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, the NDC has constituted a 118-member National Campaign Council to drive its 2027 election machinery.

Under the agreed arrangement, the National Leader, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson serves as Chairman of the National Campaign Council while Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi serves as Co-Chairman
National Chairman, Senator Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe serves as Vice-Chairman and Vice Presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso serves as Co-Vice Chairman.

Mallam Ibrahim Hussain Abdulkarim, an information and communications strategist and ally of Peter Obi from Kaduna State, was named Director-General.

Barr. Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu, National Secretary, serves as Council Secretary and Babachir Lawal, who was listed as a member of the National Campaign Caucus, was appointed Chairman of the National Campaign Advisory Council, with Senator Zuwoghe as Co-Chairman and former Ebonyi State Governor, Senator Sam Egwu, as Vice Chairman.

Other key members of the caucus and council include former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, Senator Victor Umeh, former Minister of Information Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, Professor Pat Utomi, Buba Galadima, Professor Yakubu Ochefu, and the party’s National Woman Leader Dudu Manuga.

The party also announced specialised directorates for Finance headed by Mrs. Ndidi Mbagwu, Media and Communication headed by Osa Director, Logistics and Operations headed by Oseloka Obaze, and a campaign spokesperson, Constance Ikokwu.

Speaking further, Lawal said the NDC has learned from past elections where results were manipulated at collation centres, and would deploy a polling-unit protection architecture nationwide.

“Our focus is not Abuja. Our focus is the 176,846 polling units. That is where Nigerians will decide. We will be there, vote by vote, hour by hour,”Lawal said.

The NDC said the council would provide strategic leadership and deliver a “people-centred and issue-based campaign” anchored on its vision of a new, just and prosperous Nigeria, he stressed.

Monday’s programme began with the third National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at 10am at JD Event Centre, Maitama, followed by commissioning of the new secretariat at 2pm and the inauguration at 5pm.

Certificates of Return were presented to the party’s presidential, governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly candidates for the 2027