NDC Reveals ₦8.53 Billion Income, ₦2.4 Billion Spending In Seven Months, Promises Accountability
THE Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has disclosed that it generated ₦8.529 billion from nomination forms, membership dues, levies and supporters’ contributions within approximately seven months of its establishment. During the same period, the party reported spending ₦2.402 billion on its activities.
The figures leave a reported difference of ₦6.127 billion between the party’s inflows and expenditure. National Treasurer Dr. Peter Onigah presented the statement of account at the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Monday.
According to the party, the expenditure covered political activities, including primaries, publicity, staff salaries and other operational commitments. However, the figures remain a preliminary financial presentation rather than a completed formal audit.
Early Disclosure Intended to Build Confidence
Explaining the decision to disclose the figures before the party’s first anniversary, National Chairman Senator Moses Cleopas said the leadership wanted members to understand how it managed resources contributed in the party’s name.
He stressed that the move did not arise from what he described as frivolous allegations circulating on social media. Instead, he said the leadership wanted transparency to become a defining principle of the organisation.
Although political parties must submit their financial reports to the appropriate government institutions at the end of each year, Cleopas said the NDC had chosen to brief its members ahead of the statutory reporting deadline.
“We are not up to one year. That will be after our presidential elections. But just because of what we are coming out from, we, the managers of the party, feel that in a network like this, even as we are not going into details, people must know what we are and how we are functioning and how we are managing,” he said.
He added that every member had the right to understand how the party used its collective resources.
Nevertheless, Cleopas cautioned members against treating the presentation as the conclusion of the formal accounting process. He assured them that the party would submit its properly audited accounts to the constitutionally authorised institutions when due.
Obi, Kwankwaso & Other Leaders Attend NEC Meeting
The meeting brought together prominent figures in the party, including its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and vice-presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso. National Leader Senator Henry Seriake Dickson also attended alongside members of the National Working Committee and other party officials.
Other participants included former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, Senators Victor Umeh and Tony Nwoye, former Ebonyi State Governor Sam Egwu, and Aisha Binani, a former All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Adamawa State.
Zonal officials and state chairmen also attended the meeting, which addressed financial accountability, the distribution of resources and efforts to strengthen internal cohesion.
Reacting to the financial presentation, Senator Victor Umeh, who represents Anambra Central and serves on the NEC, commended the leadership for making the figures available to members.
He argued that political organisations could not establish genuine transparency through assurances alone. Rather, leaders had to demonstrate accountability through concrete actions.
“Because there is no way to be transparent except by demonstrating it,” Umeh said.
He explained that the disclosure gave members a clearer picture of the party’s reported income and expenditure. Consequently, he said, members could assess the information presented instead of relying entirely on speculation or unverified accounts.
Umeh also acknowledged that the party would provide further details when the formal accounting process was completed.
State Chapters Seek a Fair Share of Party Funds
Beyond the disclosure itself, Umeh urged the national leadership to ensure that state chapters received an appropriate share of funds generated from their areas.
He maintained that adequate funding would enable state organisations to establish functional offices, sustain daily operations and improve the party’s visibility across the country.
In response, Cleopas said the national leadership was already considering the distribution of resources to state chapters. He assured members that the states would receive their legitimate entitlements in accordance with the party’s constitution and objectives.
The exchange highlighted a practical challenge facing a growing political organisation: national financial transparency must go hand in hand with the resources required to build functional structures at the grassroots.
However, the party’s presentation did not provide a detailed breakdown of how much each state contributed or received. Such information, when made available through the formal accounting process, could help members assess how fairly the organisation distributes its resources.
Obi’s Accountability Message Extends Beyond the Party
Cleopas also clarified that Obi’s call for accountability should not be interpreted as a personal criticism of the NDC chairman or an attack directed exclusively at the party’s leadership.
According to him, the presidential candidate was raising a broader question about the management of public resources in Nigeria, particularly as political actors prepare for the 2027 general elections.
Cleopas said those entrusted with public funds should explain what they had accomplished and how their spending had benefited citizens.
“The question is, let them come and tell us what they have used our money, Nigeria’s money, to do, and explain to us how it has been beneficial to the citizens of this country,” he said.
He argued that public officials must remain accountable to the people whose resources they manage. Therefore, the NDC’s internal disclosure formed part of a wider debate about transparency in political organisations and government institutions.
Nevertheless, the party’s reported figures and the broader question of public-sector accountability remain distinct matters. The NDC’s financial presentation concerns its own reported receipts and expenditure, while assessments of government spending require separate evidence and scrutiny.
Reconciliation Efforts Target Internal Disputes
Meanwhile, Cleopas briefed the NEC on steps taken to implement resolutions from its previous meeting. He disclosed that the party’s reconciliation committee had visited the geopolitical zones to engage aspirants dissatisfied with aspects of its internal processes.
The committee’s engagements, he said, were designed to address grievances, settle disagreements and prevent disputes from weakening the organisation.
Regular meetings at the national secretariat had also helped the leadership manage differences and promote unity among members.
Against this backdrop, Cleopas urged party members to set aside personal disagreements and work collectively to secure electoral victories for NDC candidates at every level, from the presidency to other positions across the country.
He described the party as being on a mission to rescue Nigeria and urged members not to allow doubts about its prospects to undermine their commitment.
NDC Sets Its Sights on the 2027 Presidency
Concluding his remarks, Cleopas expressed confidence that the NDC would win the presidency in 2027, with Obi as its presidential candidate and Kwankwaso as his running mate.
The declaration underlined the party’s electoral ambition as it works to strengthen its internal structures, resolve disagreements and prepare for the next general elections.
However, its ability to translate that ambition into electoral success will depend not only on campaign messaging but also on organisational cohesion, effective grassroots operations and public confidence.
For now, the disclosure of ₦8.529 billion in reported inflows and ₦2.402 billion in expenditure provides members with an initial account of the party’s finances. The next test will be the publication of its properly audited accounts, including sufficient detail to show how the money was raised, allocated and spent.
