The Obi-Kwankwaso (OK) Movement has criticised the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) over its newly unveiled National Campaign Council for the 2027 general elections, questioning the party’s preparedness and its grassroots mobilisation strategy.
The Director-General of the movement, John Ughulu, expressed his displeasure in a statement issued on Monday, October 26, arguing that the party had delayed putting the necessary structures in place ahead of the elections.
Ughulu maintained that political ambition and the appointment of prominent figures to campaign councils would not guarantee electoral victory without effective grassroots mobilisation, proper coordination and strategic planning.
He claimed that while the OK Movement had already established its organisational structures across the country, other political actors were only beginning to prepare for the electioneering period.
“The funny part of this list is that 90 per cent of the people on it will still come knocking on the doors of the OK Movement to beg for the very structure they have failed to build themselves!” he said.
The OK Movement leader also questioned why the NDC was only announcing its presidential campaign council at this stage, arguing that a serious national campaign required adequate preparation and a functional network extending to polling units.
The criticism comes amid growing disagreements between the movement and the NDC over the movement’s independence and its role in mobilising support for the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
In its campaign council announcement, the NDC named its National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, as chairman, with Obi serving as co-chairman. The party’s National Chairman, Senator Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe, was appointed vice-chairman, while Kwankwaso was named co-vice-chairman.
Other appointees include former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, who was named chairman of the National Advisory Council; former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege; former presidential candidate, Pat Utomi; and former National Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change, Buba Galadima.
However, Ughulu and the OK Movement’s state, local government and ward coordinators were not included in the appointments.
The omission has further heightened tensions between both camps, particularly over the movement’s decision to establish its own presidential campaign council.
Dickson had previously criticised the move, arguing that support groups should complement political parties rather than establish parallel structures or compete with them.
Ughulu, however, insisted that the OK Movement was an independent political organisation rather than a conventional support group, stressing that it would not surrender its structures to the NDC or any other organisation.
He argued that electoral success depended on sustained grassroots engagement and an effective mobilisation network, rather than political titles or the number of prominent names on a campaign council.
The movement’s director-general also warned that political leaders who had criticised its organisational approach might eventually seek its support as the elections approached.
He maintained that the OK Movement would remain committed to the Obi-Kwankwaso political project but would not accept a merely ceremonial role in the campaign.
The NDC is scheduled to inaugurate its National Campaign Council and commission its new national secretariat in Abuja as part of activities marking its third National Executive Committee meeting. The party is also expected to present certificates of return to its candidates for the presidential, governorship, National Assembly and state House of Assembly elections.
Ughulu reiterated that the movement’s strength lay in its grassroots network, organisational capacity and readiness to mobilise voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.
