Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi has rejected the formation of a Presidential Campaign Council by the Obi‑Kwankwaso (OK) Movement, saying support groups must not take on the role of the political party.
Speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time on Thursday, Obi said the NDC is the political vehicle for his 2027 bid and that groups such as the OK Movement, Obidient groups and Kwankwasiyya should act only as supporting organisations.
“First, NDC is the political party we all belong to. OK Movement, Obidient group, Kwankwasiyya and other supporting groups are supporting groups. They must play their role as supporting groups; they should not play the role of the party,” Obi said. “The formation of a Presidential Campaign Council by a supporting group is wrong. It should not be.”
The OK Movement on Sept. 17 unveiled a 59‑member Presidential Campaign Council made up of zonal and state coordinators and directors for mobilisation, women’s affairs, strategy, security, legal affairs and other areas. The NDC subsequently dissociated itself from the council, saying it did not originate from the party and that only the party leadership can constitute and announce its official campaign council.
Obi told the programme the OK Movement’s council was not created with his knowledge or approval. “Not at all. You are supporting—OK Movement is Obi and Kwankwaso. So whatever you do must have the express approval of both of us,” he said.
The controversy follows comments from NDC national leader and former Bayelsa governor Seriake Dickson, who said support groups should complement the party rather than establish structures that perform the functions of its official campaign machinery. The OK Movement has maintained that it is an independent political organisation and rejected efforts to subordinate its structures to the NDC.
The NDC has since authorised Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, to nominate key officials of the party’s official Presidential Campaign Council in consultation with party leadership.
