The Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, popularly known as the OK Movement, has rejected comments by Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) National Leader Seriake Dickson over its decision to establish a 59-member Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The dispute centres on whether the movement, which supports the NDC presidential ticket of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, can maintain its own campaign structure while working alongside the political party.
Dickson had argued that political support groups should complement the party rather than operate parallel structures or compete with its official campaign machinery. He described the OK Movement’s decision to establish a presidential campaign council as “unheard of” and “nonsensical.”
Responding, OK Movement Director-General John Ughulu said the group was not an ordinary support organisation created as an appendage of the NDC. He maintained that it was independently organised and had its own leadership and mobilisation structures.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the OK Movement is not a support group created as an appendage of a political party,” Ughulu said.
Ughulu also rejected any suggestion that the movement intended to challenge the NDC’s authority, saying its objective was to mobilise support for Obi and Kwankwaso while retaining its organisational identity.
The disagreement is significant because it highlights an emerging organisational challenge for the NDC and its presidential ticket as preparations for the 2027 election gather momentum. The relationship between political parties and grassroots support movements could affect campaign coordination and mobilisation across the country.
The NDC has maintained that its official Presidential Campaign Council will be constituted through the party’s established processes, with Obi and Kwankwaso expected to nominate key officers in consultation with party leaders.
Meanwhile, the OK Movement has insisted that cooperation with the NDC does not amount to organisational subordination. The latest exchange underscores the need for both sides to clarify their respective roles and structures as the 2027 electoral campaign takes shape.
