The Obi-Kwankwaso Movement has criticised the Nigeria Democratic Congress over the composition of its National Campaign Council, questioning the party’s readiness for the 2027 general elections.
The movement’s Director-General, John Ughulu, said the party had delayed setting up its campaign machinery, insisting that electoral success depended on effective grassroots mobilisation and strategic planning rather than the appointment of prominent political figures.
Ughulu made the remarks in a statement issued to journalists in Abuja on Monday, following the NDC’s announcement of its campaign council on Sunday.
He argued that the movement had invested in grassroots organisation long before the electioneering period, adding that some members of the newly constituted council might eventually seek its support.
“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.
Ughulu also questioned the timing of the announcement, asking how the party intended to prepare adequately for the elections with limited time left.
“With less than three months to the general elections, they are only just announcing their Presidential Campaign Council. What exactly have they been doing all this time?” he asked.
The disagreement comes amid tensions between the NDC and the OK Movement over the movement’s organisational independence and its role in mobilising support for the party’s presidential ticket of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The NDC named its National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, as chairman of the National Campaign Council, while Obi was appointed co-chairman. The party’s National Chairman, Senator Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe, was named vice-chairman, with Kwankwaso serving as co-vice-chairman.
Other appointees include former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal; former Deputy Senate President, Senator 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 excluded from the appointments.
The development follows an earlier disagreement over the movement’s decision to establish a separate presidential campaign council. Dickson had described the move as “unheard of” and “nonsensical”, arguing that support groups should complement political parties rather than establish competing structures.
Ughulu, however, maintained that the OK Movement was an independent political organisation and would not surrender its structures to the NDC or any other body.
He said electoral victories were determined by sustained engagement with voters and effective coordination across polling units.
“Elections are not won by titles, press releases, political noise, or the number of big names on a campaign council. Elections are won through grassroots mobilisation, effective coordination, strategic planning, committed people, and a well-established structure that reaches every polling unit,” he stated.
The movement’s director-general further questioned whether the party would recognise its organisational strength after previously criticising its decision to maintain an independent structure.
“But the question is: Will they respect the structure they are now coming to depend on?” he asked.
The NDC is scheduled to inaugurate its National Campaign Council and commission its newly acquired national secretariat in Abuja on Monday.
The activities will also include the presentation of Certificates of Return to the party’s candidates for the presidential, governorship, National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly elections, alongside its third National Executive Committee meeting.
Despite the disagreement, Ughulu insisted that the movement remained committed to the Obi-Kwankwaso political project and would not be reduced to a ceremonial support group.
“Leadership is not about who makes the loudest noise. Leadership is about who prepares, organises, builds, and delivers when it matters most,” he said.
He concluded by expressing confidence in the movement’s readiness for the forthcoming elections, declaring, “The OK Movement is ready. The question is: are they? Nigeria will be OK.”
