The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) is set to formally ratify former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections during the party’s nationwide primaries scheduled for today, Friday, May 29, 2026.
Obi is expected to emerge as the party’s flagbearer following his emergence as the sole aspirant for the NDC presidential ticket, effectively making the process an affirmation exercise rather than a competitive contest.
The development marks a major milestone for the opposition party as it intensifies preparations ahead of the 2027 elections and positions itself as a formidable force in the national political landscape.
The NDC also disclosed that governorship candidates, National Assembly aspirants and state House of Assembly candidates would emerge across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory during the primaries.
Despite the significance of the exercise, the party acknowledged that preparations were affected by major logistical challenges caused by the Eid-el-Kabir holidays, particularly difficulties relating to transportation and the unavailability of flights across the country.
The National Chairman of the party, Moses Cleopas, made this known in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, where he explained the sequence of activities leading to the nationwide primaries.
According to Cleopas, the party had initially scheduled May 28 and May 29 for various pre-primary and primary activities. However, the Eid celebrations and resulting public holidays created unexpected disruptions that affected the movement of party officials, aspirants and screening teams.
He revealed that several aspirants and members of the screening committee who travelled to Abuja for the screening exercise became stranded due to the transportation challenges.
“The primaries are still scheduled to be held nationwide on May 29, 2026, in keeping with the original May 28 and 29 timetable,” Cleopas stated.
“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,” he added.
The NDC chairman explained that Thursday, May 28, was designated for arrivals, documentation with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), consultations with security agencies, stakeholder engagements and other preparatory activities ahead of the primaries.
He noted that teams deployed by the party to various states were expected to utilise the day for consultations with aspirants, elders, stakeholders and party leaders in order to ensure smooth conduct of the exercises.
Cleopas also outlined the sequence of activities for Friday’s primaries, saying the process would begin with the presidential affirmation exercise before proceeding to National Assembly primaries or affirmations, state House of Assembly primaries or affirmations, and governorship primaries or affirmations.
According to him, all results from across the federation would be transmitted to the party’s national headquarters in Abuja for collation and official announcement by the National Working Committee.
He stressed that no state executive committee or local team had the authority to independently announce results from any of the exercises.
“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,” the statement said.
“No state executive or team has the mandate to announce any results,” Cleopas added.
The NDC leadership also issued a stern warning against any form of unauthorised participation or interference by government institutions, security agencies or state actors during the pre-primary activities conducted on May 28.
Cleopas specifically mentioned the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting that none of the agencies was expected to participate in activities outside the approved guidelines of the electoral process.
According to him, any action taken outside the established procedures would be considered illegal and unauthorised by the party.
The NDC chairman further appealed to party members, aspirants and supporters to remain peaceful and orderly throughout the conduct of the primaries.
He emphasised that the party would not tolerate violence, disorderliness, intimidation or acts of hooliganism during the exercise.
“The party remains committed to conducting peaceful, transparent and credible primaries in line with democratic principles and the Electoral Act,” he stated.
Political observers believe the affirmation of Peter Obi as the NDC presidential candidate could significantly reshape the opposition landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Obi, who served as Governor of Anambra State and contested the 2023 presidential election, has continued to maintain a strong political following across different parts of the country, especially among young voters and urban populations.
His expected emergence as the NDC presidential flagbearer is likely to intensify political alignments and negotiations ahead of the main election.
Analysts also note that the decision of the party to adopt consensus and affirmation processes in some states may have been influenced by the need to minimise internal disputes and strengthen party unity before the general elections.
Meanwhile, party loyalists and supporters across the country have continued mobilising ahead of the primaries, expressing optimism that the exercise would strengthen the NDC’s position as a major opposition platform.
With the nationwide primaries now underway and Peter Obi poised to secure the presidential ticket unopposed, attention is gradually shifting toward the broader political contest expected to dominate Nigeria’s political scene in the build-up to the 2027 general elections.
