NDC inaugurates reconciliation panel as Utomi, Galadima seek party unity
August 6, 2026 9:43 pm
L-R: NDC National Reconciliation Committee Chairman, Prof Pat Utomi; the party’s National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas and the committee’s co-chairman, Buba Galadima, at Thursday’s inauguration in Abuja. Photo: Adebayo Folorunsho-Francis.
A former presidential candidate, Prof Pat Utomi, on Thursday expressed confidence that the Nigeria Democratic Congress could reunite its aggrieved members ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Utomi spoke in Abuja shortly after the inauguration of the NDC National Reconciliation Committee, set up by the party to reconcile aggrieved aspirants and stakeholders following its nationwide congresses, convention and primaries.
The committee was inaugurated barely 48 hours after the party announced its constitution as part of efforts to address grievances and litigation arising from the recently concluded primaries ahead of the 2027 polls.
Speaking at the inauguration, Utomi, who doubles as the committee chairman, described the assignment as both a privilege and a major responsibility, saying the panel would work towards restoring unity within the party while keeping its focus on Nigeria’s future.
He said, “I feel humble and challenged by this assignment. I’m extremely privileged by the company that I have been put. Buba Galadima and I have been fighting for 50 years, and we are still very good friends. So it means that we can equally make other people become friends.
“It’s a privilege to be able to work with such people, which shows that it is possible for us to truly get this thing done for everybody to see the future. And just by coincidence, I happen to be also involved in the process of helping the party to develop its manifesto and policies.
“One of the things we have come to agreement with is that the NDC is a party of the future focused on the young people of this country. The median age of our country is 19.5 years.
“If the bulk of this huge population is there, we have to envision a future in which they are all global champions. To be able to do that, we have to live all these petty little things behind.”
Also speaking, the committee’s co-chairman, Buba Galadima, acknowledged that reconciling aggrieved party members would be challenging but expressed optimism that the committee would succeed.
He said, “I have no doubt this is going to be a straightforward assignment, even though it’s will be a very hard nut to crack. Let me also assure you all that this is the beginning of the journey to victory. Most of the members of this committee are people who are close and know me for a very long time in the trenches. It’s not easy.
“I want to say again that the process of bringing out candidates in the Electoral Act is such that it is impossible for any opposition party to, without rancour, bring out candidates.
“As I earlier said, the Electoral Act has long been perfected and skewed against the opposition before it was sent to the National Assembly. President Tinubu is protecting his party and making it difficult for other parties to produce strong candidates. I therefore urge all Nigerians to come together and throw him out in 2027.”
Inaugurating the committee, NDC National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, said its task extended beyond resolving disputes to rebuilding confidence among members after the primaries.
“Your assignment is not merely to settle disputes; it is to rebuild confidence. There is no way you will pass through this kind of political season in terms of selecting candidates that the image of the party will not slightly go down because everybody who expected a ticket but didn’t have one will always come up with one story or the other.
“Some will even hide under religion and claim he is denied a ticket because he is a Muslim. Others may say the party members have collected money. No, this shouldn’t be the case. How will our founding fathers see us if we say we are segregating Muslims or Christians?
“So, we urge this committee to rejig things so that everybody comes back to the status quo as we started, where justice, fairness, equity, and inclusion shall continue to prevail.”
Cleopas assured unsuccessful aspirants that the party still valued their contributions and urged them to remain committed to its campaign.
The NDC chairman also declared that the party’s campaign was driven by what he described as a broader national interest rather than the ambitions of any individual.
“We are not fighting for Peter Obi’s situation. Obi and Kwankwaso are the symbol of hope that God has given to us in the now. But what we are fighting for is Nigeria. I was taught some few years ago that integrity is what you do when nobody is watching you.
“Government house money is meant to develop the country and the citizenry. It’s not meant to be expended on individual elections. As some are boasting that they have 37, 40, 50 governors, if that is correct. What do they have the 36 governors for? Is it with the anticipation that they will use our treasury to finance or sponsor their elections? No! We don’t have that as a party.
“Rigging is not easy when somebody has great numerical advantage over the other. But in this case, we have Nigerians behind us in the NDC. Nigerians want Obi and Kwankwaso. We have Nigerians and the numbers. And so we must activate it to the advantage of this country,” he stated.
Cleopas, therefore, urged party leaders, aspirants and supporters across the country to cooperate with the committee, particularly state chairmen, to ensure a successful reconciliation process.
“Lastly, we urge the committee to submit a comprehensive report to the National Working Committee not later than August 22. However, I can give you to the end of this month. But don’t forget that the official campaign timetable is slated for August 19,” he said.
The PUNCH journalist, Adebayo, has over 20 years of experience covering politics, health, metro, entertainment and properties
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