Peter Obi set to become NDC presidential candidate as party zone ticket to south

This is one of the outcomes of the NDC's first National Convention, which took place on Saturday in Abuja, where the party agreed to zone its presidential ticket to the southern region of Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general election. Nigeria's electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was also present to monitor the convention, in accordance with the Electoral Act. In 2023, Mr Obi also ran for president on the Labour Party platform and gathered more than six million votes to come third in that election.

Now, Obi and the former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso — who also ran for president in 2023 on the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) platform — have joined forces to form an alliance, and political analysts agree that both men, running on a ticket as presidential and vice-presidential candidates, could give the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) a serious run for their money. Obi's and Kwankwaso's combined votes in the 2023 elections were more than seven million, while President Bola Tinubu, who won that election, gathered just over eight million votes.

At the convention ground on Saturday, Afam Victor Ogene, who previously represented Ogbaru Constituency of Anambra State in the House of Representatives, moved the motion for the NDC to zone its presidential ticket to the South. The motion was seconded by another House of Representatives member, Seyi Sowunmi, and all the delegates at the convention adopted it by voice vote. The party also agreed that after one term of four years, the presidential ticket would automatically rotate to the North.

Kwankwaso also said he was pleased with the decision to zone the party's presidential ticket to the South, "so that it will allow the region to complete its turn to produce the national leadership."

Just a week ago, many people had not heard of the NDC, until Kwankwaso and Obi announced on Sunday, 3 May 2026 that they had joined the party. The move took many people by surprise and has divided opinion across Nigeria's political landscape. Kwankwaso and Obi had previously been part of the opposition coalition movement, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in which several prominent opposition politicians in Nigeria came together to try to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, internal disagreements caused them to change their minds and join the NDC — a relatively new political party which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had initially refused to register, until a court order compelled it to do so.

Within the one week since Kwankwaso and Obi joined the NDC, the party has gained at least 17 members in the Nigerian House of Representatives, along with at least two Senators, as many of the lawmakers who had joined the ADC under their influence also followed them in defecting.

This NDC national convention is the very first in the party's history and has already drawn considerable attention. The main aim of the convention, according to one of the state leaders who spoke to BBC News Pidgin, was to ratify the national leadership and perhaps to unveil their two new "superstars".

Hundreds of supporters gathered at the convention venue, with traditional dances of all kinds, to welcome Obi and Kwankwaso — in a move that has divided opinion among political commentators.

Some have described the two politicians as "weak", alleging that they abandoned the ADC coalition over a minor internal leadership dispute. Others, however, have described the move to the NDC as a "masterstroke of genius" by experienced politicians who are several steps ahead of those whose intention was to outmanoeuvre them.

There is already widespread speculation that the pairing of Obi and Kwankwaso will be the NDC's flag bearers, as presidential and vice-presidential candidates, in the 2027 election. That will become clearer after the party primaries, which are not far off — according to the 2027 election timetable published by INEC, the period for primaries runs from 23 April to 30 May 2026.

Who are the NDC? The Nigeria Democratic Congress describes itself as a party whose aim is to respond to the "demand for disciplined governance, long-term national planning, and institutional accountability", according to the party's website. "We are a national party committed to lawful democratic processes and constructive civic engagement." A former governor of Bayelsa State, in Nigeria's South-South region, founded the party in 2017, but it was not until February 2026 — following a lengthy court battle — that INEC agreed to register the party as one of Nigeria's political parties.