NDC Disowns 59-Member Campaign Council Announced By Obi-Kwankwaso Movement

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has distanced itself from a 59-member Presidential Campaign Council announced by the Obi-Kwankwaso (OK) Movement, saying the structure was not authorised by the party.

The OK Movement, a support group associated with the presidential ticket of Peter Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, unveiled the campaign council on Thursday.

The committee included zonal and state coordinators, alongside directors responsible for areas such as mobilisation, women’s affairs, strategy, security and legal affairs.

The movement named John Ughulu as the council’s Director-General and Saadatu Sani as its National Secretary.

Sani said the group was established to mobilise Nigerians around its political project and the possibility of a better country.

The NDC, however, said the campaign council did not originate from the party.

In a statement issued on Saturday, NDC National Chairman, Cleopas Moses, asked the public and media to disregard the announcement.

“The party hereby dissociates itself in totality from the said OK Movement PCC announcement. It did not emanate from the party and should be disregarded by the public and the media,” he said.

Moses said candidates contesting under the NDC platform remained subject to the party’s authority and disciplinary structure.

“All candidates of the party must appreciate that they are not running as independent candidates,” he said.

“They are products of the party and remain subject to the authority and discipline of the party.

“Therefore, only the party’s leadership can constitute and announce a Presidential Campaign Council.”

The national chairman further warned members, candidates and support organisations against announcing campaign structures in the name of the party without approval.

“Henceforth, no individual or group is authorised to announce, constitute, or publish any campaign council, structure, or organ in the name of the party without prior approval from the National Working Committee (NWC),” Moses said.

While acknowledging the role of support groups, he said such organisations must not present themselves as parallel structures of the NDC.

“While the party will continue to work collaboratively with all support groups, such groups should not see themselves as alternative party structures or parallel organs of the party,” he said.

Moses also urged members and support groups with grievances to use the party’s internal channels instead of engaging in public disputes.

The NDC chairman further said Ughulu would be referred to the appropriate disciplinary organ over what the party described as “his excesses during the primary election in Lagos state” and “repeated disregard for party authority”.

The development follows the OK Movement’s unveiling of its proposed campaign structure ahead of the 2027 presidential election. The party leadership maintains that only its authorised structures can constitute and announce an official Presidential Campaign Council.