Peter Obi Dismisses OK Movement Campaign Council for 2027 Election

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, has turned down the formation of a Presidential Campaign Council by the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement. He insists that support groups should not act like a political party.

Obi spoke on Arise TV’s Prime Time program on Thursday. He addressed the recent clash between the NDC and the OK Movement over the 59-member campaign council that the group recently revealed.

The former governor of Anambra State said that the NDC is the political party that his supporters belong to. He stated that the OK Movement, along with Obidient groups and Kwankwasiyya, should only act as support groups.

“First, NDC is the political party we all belong to. And I agree entirely with the position of the leader (Seriake Dickson). OK Movement, Obidient group, Kwankwasiyya, and other supporting groups are supporting groups. They must play their role as supporting groups, supporting the party.

“They should not play the role of the party. We’ve found a situation where one of the supporting groups is using the nomenclature, that is forming Presidential Campaign Council; it shouldn’t be. No,” Obi said.

On September 17, the OK Movement launched a 59-member Presidential Campaign Council. This council included zonal and state coordinators, as well as directors responsible for mobilization, women’s affairs, strategy, security, legal matters, and more.

The NDC responded by distancing itself from the council. They stated that it did not come from the party and that only the party’s leadership could form and announce its official Presidential Campaign Council.

When asked if he knew about the OK Movement campaign council or approved it, Obi said he did not.

“Not at all. And I say it here, it is wrong. You are supporting, OK Movement is Obi and Kwankwaso. So whatever you do must have express approval of both of us,” he said.

This situation follows comments from NDC National Leader and former Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson. He said support groups should help the party, not create structures that act like its official campaign machinery.

Dickson described the creation of a presidential campaign council by a support group as unusual. He said these groups should focus on grassroots support and mobilization.

On the other hand, the OK Movement insists that it is an independent political organization. They have rejected any efforts to make their structures subordinate to the NDC.

The leadership of the OK Movement has previously stated that they will not collapse, merge, or give up their national, state, local government, and ward structures to the party.

The NDC has now given Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, the power to nominate key officials for the party’s official Presidential Campaign Council in consultation with the party leadership.