NDC presidential candidate says the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, Obidient groups and Kwankwasiyya should support the party rather than establish parallel campaign structures.

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has rejected the Presidential Campaign Council recently constituted by the Obi-Kwankwaso (OK) Movement ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Obi said support groups backing his presidential bid must complement the NDC rather than create structures that perform the functions of the political party.

He made the position known on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme on Thursday while commenting on the disagreement between the NDC and the OK Movement over the 59-member campaign council unveiled by the group.

The former Anambra State governor said the NDC remained the political platform through which he and his supporters would pursue the 2027 presidential election, while organisations such as the OK Movement, Obidient groups and Kwankwasiyya should operate 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).

“OK Movement, Obidient group, Kwankwasiyya, and other supporting groups are supporting groups. They must play their role as supporting 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,” Obi said.

The controversy followed the unveiling of a 59-member Presidential Campaign Council by the OK Movement on September 17.

The council comprises zonal and state coordinators, as well as officials overseeing areas including mobilisation, women’s affairs, strategy, security and legal affairs.

However, the NDC quickly distanced itself from the structure, stating that the campaign council was not authorised by the party.

The party maintained that only its leadership had the authority to constitute and officially announce its Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 election.

When asked whether the OK Movement’s campaign council had been established 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.

The development has brought into focus the relationship between the NDC and the various support organisations associated with Obi and his 2027 presidential campaign.

NDC National Leader and former Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, had earlier criticised the creation of a presidential campaign council by a support group.

Dickson said support groups should complement the party by mobilising voters and building grassroots support rather than establish structures that could be mistaken for the official campaign machinery of the NDC.

He described the creation of such a campaign council outside the party structure as unusual and stressed the need for support groups to operate within their expected roles.

The OK Movement, however, has maintained that it is an independent political organisation and has resisted calls to subordinate its structures to the NDC.

The movement had previously stated that it would not collapse, merge or surrender its national, state, local government and ward structures to the party.

Despite the disagreement, the NDC has authorised Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, to nominate key officials for the party’s official Presidential Campaign Council in consultation with the party leadership.

The latest development therefore leaves the question of how the NDC’s official campaign structure will relate to the existing support groups as the 2027 presidential election approaches.pment therefore leaves the question of how the NDC’s official campaign structure will relate to the existing support groups as the 2027 presidential election approaches.