Leaders of the Nigeria Democratic Congress in Lagos State have reaffirmed their support for Mr. Naheem Balogun as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election, insisting that the outcome of the direct primary election must be respected.
The position was contained in a statement released after a strategic meeting in Lagos. The statement, issued by the Public Relations Officer of the Lagos For Naheem Movement, Sunday Efe Forgive, stressed that party members remain committed to defending the mandate they believe was freely given to Balogun.
According to the group, there are indications that Balogun’s name has already been uploaded to the Independent National Electoral Commission portal as the NDC’s governorship candidate for Lagos State.
The leaders also dismissed reports suggesting that another candidate had been submitted, describing such claims as false and misleading. They argued that any attempt to replace a candidate who emerged through a direct primary election would undermine the democratic process within the party and disregard the wishes of its members.
They maintained that they would not allow any effort aimed at stripping Balogun of what they described as a legitimate mandate secured through a transparent primary process.
Part of the statement read, “We will resist every attempt to stampede Mr. Naheem Balogun out of a mandate freely given to him by party members.
“Until the result of the party primaries that produced Balogun is resolved through transparent engagement and adherence to the party’s constitutional provisions, the controversy could weaken the party’s electoral prospects in Lagos State. The integrity of the NDC is at stake.”
The party leaders warned that if the disagreement over the governorship ticket is not resolved through the party’s constitutional processes, it could negatively affect the NDC’s chances in the 2027 governorship election in Lagos.
Some stakeholders also questioned the alleged involvement of certain party officials in the preparation and submission of the electoral committee’s report. They further accused one party executive of allegedly working closely with influential political figures in a bid to strengthen his influence over internal party affairs, Zoyols News gathered.
