Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi has rejected the Presidential Campaign Council recently announced by the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, saying support groups should not assume the responsibilities of a political party.
Obi made the clarification while speaking on a television programme amid a growing disagreement between the NDC and the OK Movement over the 59-member campaign council unveiled by the group.
The OK Movement, which was established to mobilise support for Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, had announced the campaign council on September 17...READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
However, the NDC subsequently disowned the structure, saying it was not authorised by the party and that only its leadership had the power to constitute and announce an official Presidential Campaign Council.
Obi said he agreed with the position of NDC leaders, stressing that the NDC remains the political party to which he, Kwankwaso and their supporters belong.
According to him, organisations such as the OK Movement, the Obidient groups and Kwankwasiyya should operate as support groups and concentrate on supporting the party rather than creating structures that perform the functions of the party.
Asked whether the OK Movement’s campaign council was established with his knowledge or approval, Obi reportedly answered in the negative.
He said the formation of such a structure was wrong and maintained that any activity carried out in the name of the Obi-Kwankwaso movement would require the approval of both him and Kwankwaso.
The disagreement comes after the NDC warned individuals and support groups against creating parallel structures outside the party’s authority.
The party had stated that its candidates were contesting under the NDC platform and were therefore expected to operate within the party’s established leadership and disciplinary structures.
The NDC also moved against John Ughulu, who was named director-general of the OK Movement’s campaign council, referring him to the appropriate disciplinary organ over what the party described as repeated disregard for its authority.
The OK Movement, however, has maintained that it is an independent political organisation and has defended its right to maintain its own structures while supporting the NDC’s presidential ticket.
The development has exposed a disagreement over the relationship between political parties and support organisations as preparations continue ahead of the 2027 general elections.
With Obi now publicly distancing himself from the campaign council, attention is expected to remain on how the NDC and the OK Movement resolve their differences while maintaining support for the same presidential ticket.
