NDC population already exceeds 10 million, Abati warns that it should not become an ‘IDP camp’

Veteran journalist and former presidential aide, Reuben Abati, has warned that the swelling ranks of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, should not turn the party into a “IDP camp” for displaced politicians.

This is even as Abati revealed that the party’s membership has grown significantly from about 9.4 million to over 10 million within a short period.

Mr Peter Obi and Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso recently joined the party, and he made the comments on Tuesday during the Morning Show programme on Arise Television.

“This development has elevated the NDC’s profile and attractiveness tremendously, to become a potential major opposition force, in the run-up to the 2027 elections,” he said.

But Abati warned that the entry of politicians into the party should not compromise its structure and ideological clarity.

He cautioned that the party risks becoming a meeting point for “internally displaced politicians” if it does not chart a clear course and meaningfully engage Nigerians.

He said Obi and Kwankwaso’s participation has returned momentum and influence to the party.

“Mr. Peter Obi and Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso joining the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, led by Senator Seriake Dickson has changed the momentum in the NDC.

“Now all of a sudden the NDC has become the beautiful bride. But what I see in that is that Nigeria is a very interesting country.

The NDC may even emerge as the major opposition party but as I was warning at back of Thisday newspaper today, it must not become an IDP camp. That’s a camp for displaced politicians.

Yesterday I said the population, the register of members, has grown to about 9.4 million. This morning, it’s over 10 million.

“So all sorts of internally displaced politicians are running to the IDP camp that NDC is likely to be.

I saw people saying the party doesn’t have a manifesto. Yes. It’s got a website where it’s saying, service to the people, rule of law, agriculture, transportation. But these are party-political epigrammatic slogans.

“Beyond making sure that the NDC does not become an IDP camp, it must engage the people at the level of making sure that it has a basic contract with the Nigerian people.

“And I think that the emergence of the NDC is a wake-up call for the ruling party, the APC, even though everybody in the APC has tried to dismiss the party.

“What it means is that you cannot suppress the opposition in this country. If you close them down in ADC you try to close them down in the PDP of course they will show up somewhere else.

“And our expectation is that the political contestation ahead of the 2027 process will be competitive, and that the people will have the opportunities to choose and to choose wisely, because that is what democracy is all about, and not that they are presented with a fait accompli.

“There will be more interesting episodes ahead, not just this. But I think both Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso brought a different kind of heft, peace, momentum to the NDC.