The Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) has assured that it will resolve the growing friction in its Adamawa chapter following the rejection of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, by governorship candidate Aisha Binani and other party candidates over his appointment as the party’s North-East leader.

The party’s National Chairman gave the assurance at a press conference, acknowledging disagreements among influential stakeholders but insisting that the national leadership would not allow the dispute to undermine its preparations for the 2027 general elections.

The crisis followed Lawal’s defection to the NDC in September and his subsequent appointment by the party’s national leader Senator Seriake Dickson to oversee its activities and campaigns in the North-East.

The appointment triggered opposition from six NDC governorship candidates across the region, including Binani, who argued that the decision was made without consulting them and other stakeholders who had been involved in building the party’s structures.

In Adamawa, the disagreement escalated into a public dispute, with candidates questioning Lawal’s leadership role and expressing concerns about the implications of the appointment for the party’s electoral prospects.

The dispute also generated a sharp exchange between Lawal and Binani, further exposing the tensions surrounding his emergence as the party’s regional leader.

Responding to questions about the situation, the NDC National Chairman acknowledged the differences but said the party was taking steps to reconcile the affected stakeholders.

“We cannot hide or lie that there are misconceptions, but you know they are political gladiators and they are in our party,” he said.

He added that the party was aware of the concerns of its major stakeholders in the North-East, particularly Lawal and Binani, and would not allow their disagreements to weaken the party.

“The party will not allow them to disintegrate because we need one another, and the party is not keeping a blind eye on it,” the chairman said.

He disclosed that the party’s National Vice-Chairman for the North-East had recently returned from the region after consultations on the matter and had briefed him on the situation.

The chairman also promised to meet personally with Lawal and Binani to address their differences and prevent the dispute from escalating.

“I will have a meeting as national chairman with Babachir. I will have a meeting with Binani. All that we are doing is to ensure that all of us are simple for the sake of Nigeria,” he said.

Although he did not disclose the details of the proposed meetings or the terms of any reconciliation, his remarks indicated that the national leadership was seeking a negotiated resolution rather than allowing the disagreement to persist.

The crisis has placed the NDC’s approach to internal consultation and regional leadership under scrutiny, particularly as candidates prepare for the 2027 elections.

Lawal, a former founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), joined the NDC after leaving the African Democratic Congress (ADC), where he had protested the conduct of the party’s presidential primary that produced former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as its candidate.

When the NDC welcomed him, its National Leader, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, described him as an experienced political mobiliser and said he would play a leadership role in the North-East, providing guidance and direction for candidates and campaign activities.

However, the appointment met resistance from six governorship candidates who said they had not been consulted before the decision was made. They maintained that regional leadership should reflect local political realities and the views of those who had built the party’s structures in their respective states.

The disagreement subsequently widened, with reports that 37 NDC candidates in Adamawa, including Binani, rejected Lawal’s appointment and called on the national leadership to reconsider it.

Lawal, in his response to the protests, accused Binani of being behind the opposition to his appointment and alleged that she was supporting Atiku rather than the NDC’s presidential ticket. Those allegations remain claims by Lawal and were not independently established in the chairman’s remarks.

The NDC chairman did not publicly endorse either side in the dispute. Instead, he stressed the need for cooperation among party leaders and candidates, saying the party could work with anyone committed to its objectives.

“There is no body that any of us here cannot work with. We are very meek people. We can work with anybody, so far you are positive and committed to the goal and agenda that is set for us,” he said.

He added that the party’s leadership would intervene whenever it believed disagreements were diverting members from their shared objectives.

Beyond the Adamawa dispute, the chairman said the NDC was working to strengthen its structures and visibility across the country, including at polling-unit, ward, local government and state levels.

He acknowledged that the party needed to ensure that its candidates and supporters could identify its logo on the ballot, adding that the recent appearance of the logo on INEC’s online portal had created an opportunity to intensify mobilisation.

The party is also preparing for the inauguration of its Presidential Campaign Council, with the chairman saying consultations were ongoing with presidential candidate Peter Obi, his running mate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and other party leaders.

For the NDC, however, the Adamawa dispute presents an immediate organisational challenge: reconciling influential political figures while maintaining the confidence of candidates who have questioned the process through which regional leadership was assigned.

Whether the planned meetings will produce a lasting settlement remains to be seen. For now, the national leadership says it is committed to resolving the differences and preventing the dispute from undermining the party’s preparations for the 2027 polls.