The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Party (NDC), Peter Obi, has backed the position of the party’s national leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, that support groups should not assume the party’s functions, rejecting the presidential campaign council recently constituted by the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, popularly known as the OK Movement.
Obi stated this during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Thursday while reacting to the dispute between the NDC and the movement over the 59-member Presidential Campaign Council.
The OK Movement had announced the council on September 17, but the NDC later distanced itself from the structure, saying the party did not authorise it.
Obi, who is the NDC’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election, said the OK Movement and other groups backing the party’s ticket should operate as support organisations rather than create structures that perform 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.”
Asked whether he was informed before the OK Movement constituted its campaign council, Obi said he was not aware of the decision.
He added that any action taken in the name of the OK Movement must have the approval of both him and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
“Your OK Movement is Obi and Kwankwaso. So, whatever you do must have the express approval of both of us,” he said.
Obi’s comments align with Dickson’s position that support groups should complement the NDC rather than establish parallel structures that perform the functions of the party’s official campaign machinery.
Dickson had earlier said 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.
According to Dickson, such groups should focus on grassroots mobilisation and support for the candidates rather than act as political parties or critics of the party they support.
The OK Movement, however, has rejected the NDC leadership’s position, insisting that it is an independent political organisation with its own structures and internal administration.
Its Director-General, John Ughulu, said the movement would not allow its structures to be dissolved, transferred or absorbed into the NDC.
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