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2027 elections
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NDC takes Lagos by storm as large crowd turns out for campaign

NDC leaders addressing supporters with a microphone, above photos of a large cheering crowd, many wearing red caps
Photo: Trend Naija

The National Democratic Coalition (NDC) has taken its political campaign to Lagos, and judging by the crowd that turned out, the party appears determined to make its presence felt ahead of the 2027 general elections.

A charged atmosphere

The atmosphere was charged with excitement as supporters gathered to welcome the campaign team. Photos from the event show party leaders addressing the crowd, and streets packed with supporters, many in red caps, cheering and holding up their phones.

For a party seeking to establish itself as a serious political force, such a turnout could be an encouraging sign.

Why Lagos matters

This is Lagos, a state widely regarded as one of Nigeria's most important political battlegrounds and a stronghold of President Bola Tinubu's political influence.

Taking a campaign into Lagos and drawing a large crowd is bound to generate political discussion, especially as opposition parties begin positioning themselves for 2027.

Crowds versus votes

The real question goes beyond the number of people who attended. Can the NDC turn the enthusiasm at its campaign into actual votes when Nigerians return to the polling units?

Nigeria has seen massive political rallies before, only for the election results to tell a different story.

Still, one thing is becoming clear. The political atmosphere ahead of 2027 is gradually heating up, and Lagos will remain a major battleground.

Over to you

Is the crowd at the NDC campaign a sign of growing political support, or is it too early to draw conclusions?

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A glass ballot box
Stock image: National Museum of American History / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Natasha Osawaru shows off NDC certificate of return for Edo Assembly seat

Edo lawmaker Natasha Osawaru has shared her certificate of return as the Nigeria Democratic Congress candidate for Egor constituency in the 2027 Edo House of Assembly election, confirming her move from the PDP to the NDC.

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Edo State lawmaker Natasha Irobosa Osawaru has confirmed her political plans for 2027, sharing her certificate of return as the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for Egor constituency.

The certificate

In a social media post reported on Thursday, 5 November 2026, Osawaru displayed the certificate, dated 26 October 2026, which names her as the NDC's flag bearer for the Edo State House of Assembly seat representing Egor in the 2027 general election. The post confirmed her defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the NDC, the party of presidential candidate Peter Obi.

Background

Osawaru represents Egor in the Edo State House of Assembly. She is also widely known as the partner of singer 2Baba, with whom she has a son who recently turned one. Her relationship with the singer has drawn public attention since 2Baba's separation from his former wife, Annie. The NDC has attracted several defectors from the PDP and other parties ahead of the elections.

How people reacted

Supporters congratulated her on securing the ticket, while some social media users debated her decision to switch parties.

2027 electionsReported
Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar beside a screenshot of Obi's statement on X titled Do not Undermine Democracy
Photo: Trend Naija

Peter Obi condemns court ruling nullifying ADC chairman, says ruling party is engineering instability

NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi has condemned a Federal High Court ruling in Abuja that nullified the emergence of the ADC national chairman and all his actions. Obi warned the ruling could create serious uncertainty for opposition parties ahead of 2027, and accused the ruling party of engineering it.

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NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi has condemned the Federal High Court ruling that nullified the emergence of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) national chairman and the actions taken under his leadership.

"Do not undermine democracy"

In a statement on X titled "Do not Undermine Democracy", Obi said he received the news of the order by the Federal High Court in Abuja "with shock", describing it as "unsettling and surprising".

He was careful to say he was not challenging the court itself. "I do not challenge the ruling of the court. The court of law is constituted to determine disputes according to the law," he wrote.

Uncertainty before 2027

Obi's concern, he explained, is the timing. "My concern is that three months before a general election, it is in the public interest to have certainty. It is not good to have too many uncertainties about candidates and parties a few weeks before a presidential election."

Accusation against the ruling party

He went further, alleging that the instability was "obviously engineered by the ruling party, just as they have done against me in the Labour Party", and that the same approach was being used "to close down civic space for a robust campaign".

Obi also linked it to what he described as violence against opposition campaigns, saying it came "from the same rulebook that manufactures violence against us in our campaigns."

These are Obi's allegations, and the ruling party has not been quoted responding to them in his statement.

A call to the judiciary

Obi called on the judiciary to rise up and protect democracy by making sure opposition parties and their candidates are allowed to take part freely in the electoral process.

Over to you

Is Obi right to worry about the timing of the ruling, or should the court's decision simply be allowed to take its course?

2027 electionsReported
Peter Obi
Photo: VOA / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Anambra NDC sets target of 98% of votes for Peter Obi

The Nigeria Democratic Congress in Anambra has inaugurated a campaign council for Peter Obi and set a target of 98% of the state's votes, or about 1.5 million, up from about 600,000 votes he won there in 2023. A homecoming rally is planned.

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The Anambra State chapter of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has set an ambitious target for its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in the 2027 election.

The target

At the inauguration of the state campaign council for the Obi–Kwankwaso ticket in Awka on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, state party chairman Ikem Uzoezie reportedly said the party aims to win 98 per cent of the votes cast in Anambra, about 1.5 million votes. That would be well above the roughly 600,000 votes Obi received in the state in 2023, when he ran on the Labour Party platform.

Campaign team

Former federal lawmaker Ifeanyi Ibezi was named state campaign coordinator. He promised a major homecoming rally for Obi in the coming weeks.

Background

Obi governed Anambra from 2006 to 2014 and remains popular in the state, which he won by a wide margin in 2023. Anambra's current governor, Charles Soludo of APGA, has said he backs President Bola Tinubu, while describing Obi as a close family friend. The APC is also campaigning hard in the South East, where several governors have declared support for the President. The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027.

How people reacted

Obi's supporters welcomed the target as a sign of confidence, while rivals said the figure was unrealistic and that voters would decide.

2027 electionsReported
A glass ballot box
Stock image: National Museum of American History / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Makinde launches Reset Agenda, proposes sharing oil windfall with ordinary Nigerians

APM presidential candidate Seyi Makinde has unveiled his Reset Agenda manifesto in Abuja, proposing that oil earnings above the budget benchmark go directly to citizens' welfare. His running mate, former DSS chief Lawal Musa Daura, warned that the opposition is being suppressed.

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Oyo State governor Seyi Makinde, presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), has launched his manifesto for the 2027 election.

The proposals

At an event at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, Makinde reportedly called for a system in which crude oil earnings above the federal budget benchmark are channelled directly into the welfare of ordinary Nigerians, arguing that citizens of such a richly endowed country have no reason to be poor. The manifesto, called the Reset Agenda, also sets out proposals on electricity, governance and electoral reform. He was joined by his running mate, Alhaji Lawal Musa Daura, and APM National Chairman Yusuf Mamman Dantalle.

Running mate's warning

Daura, a former Director-General of the Department of State Services, reportedly warned that opposition parties were being suppressed ahead of the elections.

Background

Makinde is completing his second term as Oyo governor, having been elected on the PDP platform. He is now running against President Bola Tinubu of the APC, Atiku Abubakar of the ADC and Peter Obi of the NDC, among others, in the presidential election scheduled for 16 January 2027. A well-known Obidient mobiliser, Serah Ibrahim, introduced him at the launch and said she helped draft the Reset Agenda. Several of his state officials have resigned in recent weeks.

How people reacted

Makinde's supporters praised the focus on welfare and electricity, while critics questioned how the oil windfall plan would be funded and whether he could build a national base in time.