Obi Rejects OK Movement's Campaign Council

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has distanced himself from the presidential campaign council formed by the Obidient-Kwankwaso (OK) Movement.

Speaking Thursday on Arise Television’s Prime Time, Obi said the group should support the party rather than assume its responsibilities. He described the NDC as the political party to which he, running mate Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and their supporters belong, with the OK Movement, Obidient groups, Kwankwasiyya and other organisations serving only as support groups.

“First, NDC is the political party we all belong to. And I agree entirely with the position of the leader (Seriake Dickson),” Obi said. “OK Movement, Obidient group, Kwankwasiyya, and other support groups are supporting groups. They must play their role as support groups, supporting the party. They should not play the role of the party. We’ve found a situation where one of the supporting groups is using the nomenclature, that is forming Presidential Campaign Council. It shouldn’t be. No.”

Asked whether the OK Movement campaign council had been created with his knowledge or approval, Obi said it had not. “Not at all. And I say it here, it is wrong. You are supporting — OK Movement is Obi and Kwankwaso. So whatever you do must have express approval of both of us,” he said.

His remarks followed the unveiling of a 59-member presidential campaign council by the OK Movement on September 17. The movement said the council would support the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket ahead of the 2027 election, with members including zonal and state coordinators and directors for mobilisation, women’s affairs, strategy, security and legal affairs. John Ughulu, the movement’s director-general, and Saadatu Sani, its national secretary, were named director-general and secretary of the campaign council respectively.

The NDC subsequently distanced itself from the structure, with national chairman Cleopas Moses saying only party leadership could constitute a presidential campaign council and urging the public to disregard the list.

The OK Movement rejected the party’s position, saying it does not require approval from any individual within the NDC to carry out its organisational functions. Sani said the movement would continue campaigning for the NDC’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates as well as other party candidates it had resolved to support.

NDC national leader Seriake Dickson criticised the movement’s decision to establish the council, saying support groups should provide grassroots mobilisation without competing with the party. “Support groups don’t compete with the political party that is sponsoring candidates. Support groups don’t compete for supremacy and space,” he said, describing the OK Movement’s decision as “nonsensical.”