NDC Diaspora Middle East Holds Inaugural Regional Meeting, Mobilises Support for Obi-Kwankwaso Ticket

The inaugural meeting of the NDC Diaspora Middle East Region was held on Friday, August 7, 2026, with party executives and members from across the Middle East and Southeast Asia participating in discussions on membership expansion, organisational development, campaign mobilisation and electoral protection ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The meeting commenced at exactly 5:00 p.m. Nigerian time and ended at about 7:00 p.m.
The meeting was coordinated by Dr Ben Chukwu, the NDC Middle East Regional Coordinator, who also presented the regional progress report and outlined the organisation’s plans for expanding its structures across the region.
Participants included executives of the Middle East regional structure, the Saudi Arabia chapter, Qatar chapter and Thailand chapter, as well as members and representatives from other countries.
Among the stakeholders whose participation added value to the successful meeting were Mr Nkemdirichi Maduadugwo, Chairman of NDC Qatar, and Mr Chris Mbazuigwe, Chairman of NDC Thailand.
Other members of the Middle East and Saudi Arabia executive who participated included Dr Anefu Mgbede, General Secretary, and Dr Orjiakor Samuel, Organising Secretary, alongside several other members of the executive and country structures.
Middle East Nigerians Urged to Take Active Role in Nigeria’s Political Future
In his opening address, the Chairman of NDC Saudi Arabia and Coordinator of the Middle East structure stressed the importance of recognising Nigerians living in the Middle East as an important component of the Nigerian diaspora.
He noted that discussions about Nigerians in the diaspora often focus on communities in North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, Canada and other Western countries, while Nigerians living across the Middle East are sometimes overlooked.
He argued that many Nigerians in the region are experienced members of society who have lived in Nigeria for many years and remain deeply concerned about the country’s political and socioeconomic development.
He therefore urged Nigerians living in the Middle East to become more actively involved in national affairs and to contribute to efforts aimed at building what he described as a “new Nigeria.”
Members were encouraged to participate actively in meetings, support activities in Nigeria, strengthen existing structures and increase membership ahead of the forthcoming elections.
NDC Diaspora DG Joins Meeting
The meeting also received the participation of Princess Mariam Tolafari, Director-General of NDC Diaspora, who joined the meeting while the opening address was ongoing.
According to Dr Ben Chukwu’s report, her arrival was greeted with the party slogan, “NDC Service.”
Princess Tolafari subsequently greeted participants and delivered a brief address. However, her contribution was reportedly cut short by network instability affecting the Nigerian end of the virtual meeting.
Dr Ben Chukwu Presents Regional Progress Report
Following the opening addresses, Dr Ben Chukwu, in his capacity as Middle East Regional Coordinator, presented an update on the development and progress of the NDC Middle East structure.
He disclosed that the organisation currently has a presence in several countries across the Middle East and Southeast Asia, including:
Saudi Arabia
Qatar
United Arab Emirates
Oman
Kuwait
Indonesia
Malaysia
Thailand
Japan
Dr Chukwu identified Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Malaysia and Thailand as some of the countries where the structures are currently showing stronger activity, while noting that efforts were ongoing to strengthen participation and organisational commitment in other locations.
He explained that the structures were established to bring Nigerians across the different countries together and enable them to work towards a common objective of supporting the NDC and its presidential ticket.
Membership Expansion and Electoral Mobilisation
A major focus of Dr Chukwu’s presentation was the need for sustained membership expansion.
He said the regional structure would continue to encourage more Nigerians to join and participate actively in the organisation, with the objective of building sufficient human and organisational capacity for the campaign ahead.
The regional plan, according to him, includes mobilising Nigerians, canvassing for votes and supporting efforts aimed at protecting votes and electoral results.
He stressed the importance of having a sufficiently organised diaspora network capable of supporting activities both during the campaign period and on election day.
Qatar and Thailand Executives Participate
During the Any Other Business (AOB) session, country executives were given the opportunity to introduce themselves and their members.
Mr Nkemdirichi Maduadugwo, Chairman of NDC Qatar, participated in the session and introduced the Qatar structure, while Mr Chris Mbazuigwe, Chairman of NDC Thailand, also represented the Thailand chapter.
Members of the Middle East and Saudi Arabia executive were subsequently introduced, including Dr Anefu Mgbede, General Secretary, and Dr Orjiakor Samuel, Organising Secretary, among several others.
Their interventions reflected the emphasis placed on strengthening cooperation among the different country chapters and building a more coordinated regional structure.
Participants Express Enthusiasm for NDC Ticket
According to Dr Chukwu, one of the most notable features of the meeting was the enthusiasm displayed by participants.
He reported that members expressed a strong desire to contribute to efforts aimed at securing victory for the NDC in the forthcoming election.
Dr Chukwu specifically attributed the renewed optimism among participants to the emergence of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, saying their candidacy had injected hope into members of the movement.
He reported the sentiment from participants as follows:
“Everyone says they want Mr. Peter Obi and that is final.”
The statement represents the sentiment reported by participants at the meeting and should not be interpreted as an independent survey of the wider Nigerian diaspora.
Meeting Ends With Renewed Commitment
The inaugural NDC Diaspora Middle East regional meeting ended at approximately 7:00 p.m. Nigerian time, with participants reportedly expressing renewed commitment to expanding the organisation’s membership and strengthening its structures across the region.
The meeting brought together representatives from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Thailand and other countries, while acknowledging existing structures in Indonesia, Malaysia, Oman and other locations whose representatives were unable to participate because of time-zone differences.
With Dr Ben Chukwu providing regional coordination and progress updates, and country leaders including Mr Nkemdirichi Maduadugwo and Mr Chris Mbazuigwe, alongside Dr Anefu Mgbede, Dr Orjiakor Samuel and other executives, contributing to the proceedings, the meeting provided a platform for greater coordination of NDC’s diaspora activities across the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
The gathering concluded with a renewed call for membership expansion, organisational consolidation, political participation and coordinated diaspora support ahead of the 2027 elections.