2027: Peter Obi rejects OK Movement campaign council, backs Dickson’s position

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Party (NDC), has supported the position of the party’s national leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, that support groups should not perform the functions of the political party.

Obi specifically rejected the Presidential Campaign Council recently announced by the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, also known as the OK Movement.

The former Anambra State governor spoke on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Thursday while discussing the disagreement between the NDC and the movement over the 59-member campaign council.

The OK Movement unveiled the council on September 17. The NDC later disowned the structure, saying it was not authorised by the party.

According to Obi, the OK Movement, Obidient group, Kwankwasiyya and other organisations backing the NDC ticket should remain support groups and should not establish structures that duplicate the functions of the party.

He said, “First is that the NDC is a political party we all belong to and I agree entirely with the position of the leader.

“OK Movement — Obidient group, Kwankwasiyya and other supporting groups are supporting groups. They must play their roles as supporting groups supporting the party. They should not play the role of a party.

“We have a situation where one of the supporting groups is using the nomenclature or forming presidential campaign council. It shouldn’t be.”

When asked if he had been consulted before the OK Movement formed its campaign council, Obi said he was unaware of the decision.

He further maintained that decisions taken under the name of the OK Movement must have the express approval of both himself and Kwankwaso.

“Your OK Movement is Obi and Kwankwaso. So, whatever you do must have the express approval of both of us,” he said.

The position echoes Dickson’s earlier call for support organisations to complement the NDC rather than establish parallel structures that could carry out the functions of the party’s official campaign machinery.

Dickson had argued that support groups should not compete with the party for political space or supremacy.

“Support groups don’t compete with the political party that is sponsoring candidates. Support groups don’t compete for supremacy, for space,” he said.

He said their role should instead centre on grassroots mobilisation and supporting the candidates, rather than functioning as political parties or criticising the party they support.

The OK Movement has, however, rejected the NDC leadership’s position, insisting that it remains an independent political organisation with its own structures and internal administration.

John Ughulu, the movement’s Director-General, said the organisation would not permit its structures to be dissolved, transferred or absorbed into the NDC.

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