2027 Election: NDC Breaks Silence on Viral Reports It Has No Governorship Candidate in 12 States

• The Nigeria Democratic Congress rejected reports that it lacked governorship candidates in 12 states ahead of the 2027 elections
• The party named its candidates in the 12 states in question, including Senator Kabiru Marafa in Zamfara and retired Rear Admiral Ibrahim Sanusi Kasim in Borno
• NDC denied being a regional party, saying it has structures and candidates across all 36 states and the FCT

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.

FCT, Abuja - The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has firmly denied reports that it has no governorship candidates in 12 states scheduled to hold elections in 2027, calling the claims false and politically motivated.

In a statement released on Saturday evening, September 5, 2026, signed by National Publicity Secretary Osa Director, the party said the reports were an attempt to undermine its growing presence across the country.

The NDC said it has nominated candidates in all 28 states where governorship elections will take place in 2027.

The statement read:

"For the avoidance of doubt, the NDC has duly nominated and has governorship candidates in all the 28 states where governorship elections will take place in 2027."

NDC lists candidates in contested states

To counter the reports directly, the party published the names of its candidates in the 12 states it said were wrongly cited. They include Senator Kabiru Marafa in Zamfara State; retired Rear Admiral Ibrahim Sanusi Kasim in Borno; Hon. John Odey in Cross River; Babanta Michael Okon in Akwa Ibom; and Nwofe Boniface in Ebonyi.

The remaining seven are Yakubu Solomon Ndam in Plateau; Ilu-Barde Aliyu in Katsina; Alhaji Umar Usman Besse in Kebbi; Jonga Yahaya Gabakau in Yobe; Dutse Aminu Sani in Jigawa; Prof. Yahaya Mohammed Sani in Taraba; and Abdu Sidi Bomi in Niger State.

The party also pushed back against characterisations of it as a regional organisation, insisting it has active structures, candidates and supporters across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The list of NDC Governorship Candidates for 2027 is highlighted below:

1. Zamfara state: Senator Kabiru Marafa
2. Borno state: Rtd Rear Admiral Ibrahim Sanusi Kasim
3. Cross River state: John Odey
4. Akwa Ibom: Babanta Michael Okon
5. Ebonyi state: Nwofe Boniface
6. Plateau state: Yakubu Solomon Ndam
7. Katsina state: Ilu-Barde Aliyu
8. Kebbi state: Alhaji Umar Usman Besse
9. Yobe state: Jonga Yahaya Gabakau
10. Jigawa state: Dutse Aminu Sani
11. Taraba state: Prof Yahaya Mohammed Sani
12. Niger state: Abdu Sidi Bomi

NDC warns media against unverified claims

The party directed its message at journalists, bloggers and content creators, urging them to verify political claims before publication. "Journalism thrives on truth, not rumours," the NDC said, adding that spreading unverified information could damage public confidence in both the press and democratic institutions.

The NDC described the disputed reports as "sponsored falsehoods" and said the party would not allow them to divert its attention from issue-based campaigning.

Looking ahead to 2027, the party positioned itself as a fresh alternative to Nigeria's dominant political parties, saying Nigerians were "tired of recycled failures." It said its candidates would campaign on a platform built around security, job creation and accountability.

"The rescue mission has started," the party said, inviting Nigerians to back its political movement.

Read the NDC's full statement below via X:

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Dickson boasts of presidential credentials

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Senator Seriake Dickson asserted that nobody is doing the party a favour by handing the presidential ticket to Peter Obi for the 2027 elections.

Dickson, the NDC founder, stated that he could have emerged as the party's presidential flagbearer for the 2027 polls, citing his track record.

He urged Obi's supporters to remain calm and avoid actions that could undermine the party.