By Ademu Idakwo, James Kwen and Helen Onyemowo Foster, Abuja
Despite the launch of campaigns for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections, major opposition parties, including the Social Democratic Party (SDP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Labour Party (LP), have yet to unveil their full campaign teams.
The parties attribute the delay to strategic planning, funding, consultations and the need to select widely acceptable personnel.
The development comes barely three days after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially opened the campaign window for the presidential and National Assembly elections on 19 August 2026.
According to the timetable and schedule of activities released by INEC, political parties are permitted to commence public campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections from 19 August, with the elections scheduled for 16 January 2027.
However, despite the campaign period having commenced, several opposition parties have yet to name their directors-general and other members of their presidential campaign councils.
The national chairman of the NNPP, Agbo Major, said the party would soon unveil its campaign programme for its presidential and National Assembly candidates.
Speaking in an interview with LEADERSHIP Sunday in Abuja on Thursday, Major said the delay was deliberate, particularly because smaller political parties faced significant financial and logistical constraints.
He said sustaining an active campaign over the entire campaign period required careful planning and substantial resources, which smaller parties could not afford to deploy from the first day.
According to him, the NNPP would initially launch campaigns for its National Assembly candidates before they proceed to their respective constituencies.
On the choice of a campaign Director-General, Major said the party would prioritise wide acceptability, a strong political track record, integrity and knowledge of local politics.
He said the DG must be acceptable to candidates and party members alike, adding that although some names were under consideration, the party would not disclose them until the structure was ready.
Major also said the NNPP would place young people and women at the centre of its campaign mobilisation strategy.
“Our party belongs to the youths and women. They are central in what we are doing,” he said.
Similarly, the SDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, said the party would unveil the full complement of its national campaign structure in the next few days.
Aiyenigba said that although INEC had provided a campaign window of several months, no political party had the capacity to sustain intensive campaigning throughout that period.
He said the SDP had been engaged in mobilisation activities for several months and that the formal campaign structure would consolidate the groundwork already completed.
According to him, the SDP presidential candidate had been engaging grassroots communities across the North and South.
Regarding the selection of the campaign Director-General, Aiyenigba said the party would consider political clout, experience, visibility, social capital and a national outlook.
“The DG must be someone with name recognition who can attract people to buy into the project,” he said.
