Less than two weeks before the official commencement of campaigns for the 2027 general elections, disagreement has emerged within the National Democratic Coalition (NDC) over the strength of its grassroots organisation in Gombe State, with party leaders offering conflicting assessments of the party’s preparedness.
The disagreement involves the Northeast Zonal Coordinator of the Coalition Alliance Network for the Peter Obi/Kwankwaso Movement, Alhaji Yahaya Mohammed Samaila, the party’s governorship hopeful in Gombe State, Dr. Babayo Ardo, and the National President of the Coalition Alliance Network, Mallam Zakari Garba Bura.
While Samaila argued that the NDC Gombe structure remains weak, both Ardo and Bura maintained that the party has functional political structures across all 11 local government areas of the state. Speaking in Gombe, Samaila claimed the party lacked visible campaign activities compared with neighbouring Northeast states.
“We don’t have structures compared to other states in the Northeast. We don’t have a single vehicle branded with the NDC logo in Gombe for campaigns. There are no posters of governorship, House of Assembly or senatorial candidates across the state,” he said.
Although he described Ardo as “a very good man,” Samaila questioned the governorship hopeful’s visibility among party supporters and disclosed that he was unaware of any organised campaign committee. He expressed optimism that support groups and associations could help strengthen the party’s presence within two weeks if adequate funding became available.
Responding during an online interview from Abuja, Bura dismissed the concerns, insisting the coalition has established a nationwide political network covering Nigeria’s 774 local government areas and more than 8,000 wards. According to him, the coalition plans to deploy 10 members to every polling unit and currently has between 200,000 and 400,000 supporters nationwide.
Addressing the NDC Gombe structure, Bura said the party already has operational structures across the state’s 11 local government areas and 114 wards. He, however, clarified that the coalition had yet to officially announce its governorship candidate, although he expressed confidence that Ardo would eventually secure the party’s ticket.
Ardo also rejected suggestions that the party lacks grassroots support, describing the NDC as a young political platform that has expanded rapidly since its registration in February 2026.
According to him, the party has already established polling unit committees, ward executives, local government executives and a state executive across Gombe. He announced plans for a statewide tour covering all 11 local government areas to engage residents ahead of the commencement of campaigns in line with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) timetable.
The governorship hopeful said his administration, if elected, would prioritise security through stronger community participation, promote economic growth driven by agriculture and commerce, improve education, strengthen healthcare delivery and pursue issue-based politics rather than personal attacks. Calling for unity within the party, Ardo urged stakeholders to focus on collaboration instead of internal disagreements.
“I don’t know the zonal coordinator personally, but I can assure him that NDC is solid in Gombe State. We should work together, focus on issues and build synergy instead of exchanging personal attacks,” he said. This version is fully original, SEO-optimised, neutral in tone, and follows a news structure while preserving all the important facts from the source.
