RismadarVoice Reporters
October 26, 2026
The Obi-Kwankwaso (OK) Movement has criticised the composition of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) National Campaign Council, accusing the party of inadequate preparation for the 2027 general elections.
The movement’s Director-General, John Ughulu, raised the concerns in a statement issued on Monday, following Sunday’s announcement of the party’s campaign leadership.
Ughulu argued that effective grassroots mobilisation, planning and coordination were more important to electoral campaigns than the appointment of prominent political figures.
He claimed that many members of the newly announced council would eventually require assistance from the movement’s existing organisational network.
The disagreement centres on the relationship between the NDC and the OK Movement, which supports the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Under the announced arrangement, NDC National Leader Senator Seriake Dickson will chair the campaign council, with Obi serving as co-chairman.
The party’s National Chairman, Senator Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe, was appointed vice-chairman, while Kwankwaso will serve as co-vice-chairman.
Other appointments include former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal as chairman of the National Advisory Council, Ikenna Enekweizu as council secretary and Ibrahim Abdulkarim as Director-General.
Ughulu and the movement’s coordinators were not included in the appointments.
The omission follows an earlier dispute over the OK Movement’s establishment of a separate 59-member presidential campaign council.
The NDC rejected that arrangement, maintaining that only the party leadership could constitute its official presidential campaign structure.
Dickson also criticised the initiative, arguing that support groups should complement political parties rather than establish competing campaign organisations.
Obi subsequently distanced himself from the movement’s council, saying it had been constituted without his approval.
Ughulu, however, maintained that the OK Movement was an independent organisation entitled to retain its internal leadership and grassroots structures.
He insisted that the movement remained committed to supporting the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket despite its disagreements with the NDC leadership.
The party had earlier explained that preparations for its campaign council involved consultations with its presidential and vice-presidential candidates, including their input into key appointments.
The NDC is scheduled to inaugurate the council and commission its national secretariat in Abuja on Monday, alongside other party activities.
The continuing disagreement highlights unresolved questions over how the party intends to coordinate its official campaign operations with independently organised groups supporting its candidates.
