Image used to illustrate fact check. Source: Facebook.
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Claim: Social media users claimed that Peter Obi has clinched the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential ticket with a total of 22 million votes.
Verdict: False! The NDC has not conducted its presidential primary, which will produce its presidential candidate.
Full Text
An X user, the Mayor of Calabar, posted claiming that Peter Obi had won the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential ticket with 22 million votes.
The claim (archived here) has been gaining traction on X, with 11,000 likes, 2,700 retweets, and 267 comments as of May 26, 2026. The claim has also gone viral on Facebook, as seen here, here, here, and here. Several users believe tw claim, with many using it to mock non-Obi supporters.
“Twenty-two million Nigerians didn’t collect rice. They didn’t collect T-shirts. They didn’t collect dollars. They voted with their conscience, their hunger, and their hope,” @Evolve9279 wrote in the comments section.
Kay_ Kaykeres, another user, said the total votes are 37 million if Lagos is included.
“You omitted the 15M votes from Lagos. That’s a total of 37M votes,” he said.
DUBAWA conducted this fact check due to the claim’s virality and its significance to the electoral process, especially in the lead-up to the 2027 general elections.
Verification
As of May 26, 2026, available newspaper reports confirmed that the NDC had released only its timetable for the sale of forms and the primary elections. The party is yet to conduct its presidential primaries.
The Cable reported that the NDC said it will hold its presidential primary election on May 29, 2026, in Abuja. This was also corroborated by the BBC and Daily Trust.
Conclusion
Contrary to the viral claim, Obi has not won the NDC presidential ticket as the party has yet to hold its primary election. Therefore, the claim is false.
