Obi’s NDC loses deputy publicity secretary Abdulmumin Abdulsalami, hours after Yunusa Tanko emerges as SDP campaign coordinator

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), the party of presidential candidate Peter Obi, has lost its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Abdulmumin Ohiare Abdulsalami, who resigned on Wednesday night, within hours of another high-profile exit, according to Arise News and AIT.

Abdulsalami announced his resignation with immediate effect in a letter titled "Resignation from the Nigeria Democratic Congress and Withdrawal from All Partisan Commitments". It was addressed to the NDC National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, and sent through his former ward chairman in Kogi State.

"With a deep sense of gratitude to almighty Allah, I hereby notify the national and sub-national organs of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, through my former ward chairman, of my resignation from the party," he wrote. He said he had also withdrawn from all ongoing technical and political commitments he had taken on at the pleasure of the party's National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson.

Abdulsalami described himself as a foundation member and a critical formative leader of the party. He alleged that his contributions to its growth had come into conflict with the vested interests of a few powerful officers. "My sincere and positive contributions to the meteoric rise and success of the party are at odds with the vested interests of a few powerful officers who call the shots," he said.

He added that he had repeatedly suffered unfair treatment and that the decision was meant to protect his peace of mind. "This painstaking decision serves my best interest as I prioritise my peace of mind rather than recurrent complaints at the sight of series of injustice meted out to me," he wrote. The reports say he did not name the officials he accused, nor give specific examples of the treatment he described. He thanked Dickson for the positions he had held, including Kogi State pro tem chairman, Deputy National Publicity Secretary and Deputy National Director for Labour and Civil Society.

His exit came shortly after Yunusa Tanko, a former National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement and political adviser on the North to Obi, emerged as National Coordinator of the Social Democratic Party's Presidential Campaign Council. Tanko was inaugurated with other members of the SDP council in Abuja on Wednesday. He had confirmed his resignation as Obi's adviser on October 30, after taking a leadership role in the National Consultative Front.

At the inauguration, Tanko pledged to work with the SDP presidential candidate, Adewale Adebayo, and his running mate, Usman Bugaje, towards victory in the 2027 elections. He described the SDP as a people-oriented party committed to defending the interests of disadvantaged Nigerians, and said Nigeria must move towards a more prosperous future.

AIT reports that the two departures raise questions about the internal cohesion of the NDC as parties intensify preparations for the presidential election. The NDC had not issued a public response to either exit in the reports reviewed, and Obi had not commented.

Defections and resignations are common in the months before a Nigerian general election, as politicians reassess where they stand. Abdulsalami's claims are his own and have not been tested, and the party will be expected to answer them. How many other members follow, and whether the NDC moves to reassure its base, will show whether these two exits are isolated cases or the start of a trend.