The Director-General of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, (NDC), Presidential Campaign Council, Ibrahim Abdulkarim, has called on former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and other opposition leaders to join the political alliance backing Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso ahead of the 2027 presidential election, DECENCY GLOBAL NEWS reports.
Abdulkarim said a united opposition would be better positioned to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), adding that the NDC-led alliance had already taken shape with Obi as its presidential candidate and Kwankwaso agreeing to work with him.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News, Abdulkarim maintained that opposition leaders were welcome to join the alliance, regardless of their previous political affiliations or preferred platforms.
“The opposition has to come together for us to win. The opposition have already come together. Nobody said the coalition must happen on ADC. It can happen in NDC, and Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has already dropped his ambition,” he said.
He urged Atiku and other opposition figures to join the alliance, arguing that their participation could expand its national reach.
“What we are asking for is for other people to join us, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, to join all of us, so at least we will have the spread that they think they can add,” Abdulkarim stated.
He added that the alliance would continue its political activities even if other opposition leaders declined to join.
“But if they are not coming to join us to continue to see the opposition swell up, we will continue what we have started,” he said.
Abdulkarim also dismissed criticism of the NDC’s campaign structures and preparedness for the 2027 elections, arguing that the party should not be confused with the Obidient movement or other support groups associated with Obi.
He said the NDC had numerous support groups working within its political structure and maintained that the existence of such groups should not be used to question the party’s organisation.
“How can you compare a party with a support group? Support group! We don’t have any problem. They’re all part of the NDC party. We have more than a thousand support groups like that,” he said.
The campaign council director-general’s comments come amid political realignments and discussions among opposition figures over the most viable platform for challenging the APC in 2027.
While some opposition politicians have explored alternative coalition arrangements, Abdulkarim insisted that the NDC remained open to working with other political leaders interested in a common opposition platform.
NDC Promises to Protect Votes
Abdulkarim further urged Nigerians concerned about electoral malpractice and the credibility of elections to support the NDC, promising that the party would put measures in place to protect votes cast for its candidates.
He said the party was developing what he described as a comprehensive strategy to prevent the manipulation or theft of votes during the 2027 elections.
According to him, the NDC plans to campaign peacefully across the country and reach voters who have become discouraged by concerns that their votes may not count.
“What we are saying is that anybody that is thinking he don’t want his vote to be rigged and he don’t want his vote to be stolen, he should join NDC,” he said.
Abdulkarim added that the party’s leaders and young supporters were committed to ensuring that votes were protected, although he did not disclose specific operational details of the proposed strategy during the interview.
He also described voters who believe their participation would make no difference as an important constituency for the party to engage.
“We are very civil. We are going to do our campaign peacefully. We are going to go into every corner,” he said.
He explained that the party intended to reach people who had lost confidence in the electoral process and reassure them that their votes could count.
“We will assure them before the election that nobody will take away their vote. And I can promise anybody, anybody that feels he wants his vote to count, we have a very, very unique and serious programme that we have put in place,” he added.
Abdulkarim Cites Obi’s Record in Anambra
The NDC campaign council director-general also defended Obi’s approach to political appointments, responding to allegations that some public officeholders pay large sums to secure appointments and later use their positions to recover their investments.
Abdulkarim cited Obi’s tenure as governor of Anambra State, arguing that the former governor selected people based on their competence rather than financial inducements.
He maintained that Obi would seek qualified individuals to serve in his administration if elected president in 2027.
“The response to that is that Mr Peter Obi is a living testimony today, and he was a governor. I will say it, and anybody can fact-check me, as he said, ‘Go and verify.’ In all the commissioners when he was a governor, he didn’t know them from anywhere, from Adam. He picked the best,” Abdulkarim said.
He added that Obi intended to appoint capable professionals who could contribute to national development.
“He is going to look for the best brain and get people to work. This is what Obi is telling us from the campaign council, and he will do it different. In appointment, I can tell you, Mr Peter Obi is going to get the best hands to help him move Nigeria forward,” he said.
Abdulkarim’s remarks underscore the NDC’s efforts to attract opposition leaders, expand its political reach and present Obi and Kwankwaso as the centre of its proposed presidential alliance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
However, whether other opposition figures, including Atiku, will join the arrangement remains to be seen as discussions over alliances and political platforms continue.
