The Obi-Kwankwaso (OK) Movement has publicly faulted the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) following the unveiling of its National Campaign Council list for the 2027 general elections. The group openly questioned the party’s operational readiness and boasted of a vastly superior nationwide grassroots organization.
The political friction came to a head on Monday morning, October 26, 2026, at 10:00 AM during a press conference convened at the OK Movement’s National Secretariat in Utako, Abuja.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, the Director-General and official spokesperson of the OK Movement, Dr. John Ughulu, heavily criticised the NDC’s political strategy, arguing that the party’s campaign apparatus relies heavily on top-tier political appointments rather than functional, voter-facing networks.
Dr. Ughulu stated that a presidential ambition backed solely by central committees without active local mobilisation amounts to “nothing more than a political wish.” To highlight the contrast, the movement emphasized that its own 59-member presidential campaign framework and state-by-state mobilization cells, established months prior, have already secured active operational support down to the ward level across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
While the NDC named Senator Henry Seriake Dickson as council chairman and designated presidential candidate Peter Obi alongside running mate Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to central advisory leadership roles, the OK Movement maintains that it will not surrender its organizational autonomy or merge completely into the party’s central organ.
”We did not wait for the election to approach before recognizing the importance of grassroots organization,” Dr. Ughulu declared during the briefing. “Leadership is not about who makes the loudest noise; leadership is about who prepares, organizes, builds, and delivers when it matters most. The OK Movement is ready. The question is, are they?”
The controversy escalated as the NDC prepared for its National Executive Committee meeting and national campaign council inauguration scheduled for Monday afternoon at the NFC Conference Centre in the Central Business District of Abuja.
Addressing reporters at the NDC venue, National Secretary Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu downplayed the criticism, insisting that the party remains a unified platform focused on rescuing the country through structured political consensus and issue-based campaigning.
As preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum, political analysts view this public disagreement as a crucial test of how opposition alliances will manage authority between established political parties and candidate-driven support movements.
