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The Obi-Kwankwaso movement has questioned the readiness of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 general elections, criticising the timing and composition of its presidential campaign council.
The movement’s Director-General, John Ughulu, said several prominent names on the 155-member council might not have the grassroots support required to mobilise voters across the country.
In a statement on Monday, Ughulu questioned why the party announced its campaign council less than three months before the general elections, arguing that the timing raised concerns about its organisational preparedness.
“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? Where is the structure? Where is the strategy? Where is the machinery required to prosecute a serious national election?” he asked.
The NDC announced the campaign council on Sunday, appointing its National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, as chairman and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as co-chairman.
The party’s National Chairman, Cleopas Zuwoghe, was named vice-chairman, while its vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, was appointed co-vice-chairman.
The National Secretary, Ikenna Enekweizu, will serve as secretary of the council, while ICT strategist Ibrahim Abdulkarim was named director-general.
Reacting to the appointments, Ughulu argued that having prominent political figures on a campaign council was not enough to secure electoral success without effective organisation at the grassroots.
“Elections are not won by titles, press releases, political noise, or the number of big names on a campaign council.
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“Elections are won through grassroots mobilisation, effective coordination, strategic planning, committed people, and a well-established structure that reaches every polling unit,” he said.
The movement’s DG further claimed that some members of the NDC campaign council might eventually seek the support and organisational network of the Obi-Kwankwaso movement.
He said the group had focused on building its grassroots structure ahead of the elections, describing a presidential ambition without an effective grassroots network as “nothing more than a political wish”.
Ughulu also insisted that the movement was not merely a support group for political leaders but an organisation built around its principles and objectives.
“The OK Movement is not a political decoration, a temporary support group, or an organisation that exists merely to applaud political leaders,” he said.
“We are a movement built on principles, driven by purpose, and determined to demonstrate what serious political organisation should look like.”
He challenged the NDC to demonstrate that it had the structures and organisational capacity needed to compete in the 2027 elections.
“Let those who are only just waking up to the realities of election preparation learn from the difference between having political ambition and possessing the capacity to execute it. The OK Movement is ready. The question is: are they?” he added.
