Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has formally joined the opposition Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and called on citizens struggling with economic hardship and insecurity to back the party’s joint presidential ticket of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso in the 2027 general elections.
​Lawal made the declaration on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, during a formal reception event at the NDC National Headquarters in Abuja.
​Addressing party leaders and supporters during his unveiling, Lawal stated that the current socio-economic challenges facing Nigeria demand a unified political response.
​”Anybody at all in Nigeria who has the interest of our country at heart and has sympathy for the suffering that is going on, enabled by insecurity, economic degradation, hunger, ignorance, and disease, will have no choice but to join a party that presents Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso,” Lawal declared.
​He urged well-meaning citizens to rally behind the platform, noting that both candidate Peter Obi and running mate Rabiu Kwankwaso possess track records of executive governance from their respective tenures as state governors.
​Receiving Lawal into the party, NDC National Leader Senator Seriake Dickson commended the former SGF as an experienced political strategist and grass-roots mobiliser.
​Dickson announced that Lawal will take on a direct leadership role in directing campaign strategies and overseeing party structures across the North-East and North-Central geopolitical zones ahead of the 2027 polls.
​”Babachir Lawal is a great mobiliser and political activist who has seen parties promise change but fail to deliver,” Dickson stated. “We are pleased to have him lead NDC activities and campaign coordination across key regions.”
​Lawal’s decision to join the NDC comes three months after his departure from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in June 2026. Lawal previously served as SGF under the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration before severing ties with the ruling party.
​The NDC previously adopted Peter Obi as its presidential candidate and Rabiu Kwankwaso as his vice-presidential running mate, positioning the joint ticket as a core opposition platform for the upcoming general elections.
