2027 Elections: OK Movement Faults NDC’s Late Campaign Preparations, Questions Grassroots Strength

The Obi-Kwankwaso (OK) Movement has criticised the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) over what it described as delayed preparations for the 2027 general elections, arguing that the unveiling of a national campaign council is insufficient to guarantee effective grassroots mobilisation and electoral success.

In a statement issued on Monday, October 26, 2026, titled “The Difference Between Political Ambition and Political Capacity,” the movement’s National Director-General, John Ughulu, questioned whether the party had established the organisational machinery necessary to compete effectively in a nationwide election.

Ughulu argued that appointing prominent politicians to a campaign council could not substitute for sustained political engagement, strategic planning and a functioning network of coordinators capable of reaching voters at the grassroots. He maintained that electoral success depended on more than the unveiling of an impressive list of political figures.

He expressed particular concern about the timing of the NDC’s announcement, asking what the party had been doing to prepare its campaign structure before the council was unveiled. In his assessment, political organisations seeking national electoral victories should establish their mobilisation networks well ahead of the final months before an election.

The OK Movement director-general also claimed that many members of the newly announced campaign council could eventually turn to his organisation for mobilisation support. He declared that the movement had invested in building the structures and networks that he believes are essential for effective electioneering.

The criticism followed the NDC’s announcement of its National Campaign Council, with its National Leader, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, named chairman and the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, appointed co-chairman. The vice-presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, was named co-vice-chairman, while National Chairman Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe was appointed vice-chairman.

Other notable figures included former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, who was named to lead the National Campaign Advisory Council; former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege; former presidential candidate Pat Utomi; and former National Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change, Buba Galadima. The party also named Ikenna Enekweizu as council secretary and Ibrahim Abdulkarim as Director-General of the presidential campaign.

However, the latest disagreement is rooted in an earlier dispute over the OK Movement’s independent campaign structure. In September, the movement announced its own 59-member Presidential Campaign Council to mobilise support for the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket, but the NDC subsequently disowned the initiative, insisting that only the party leadership could establish an official campaign council in its name. The dispute exposed differences over the relationship between the party and the independent political organisation supporting its presidential ticket.

While NDC leaders have maintained that support groups should complement the party rather than operate as competing political structures, the OK Movement has insisted on preserving its organisational independence. Ughulu’s latest remarks reinforce the movement’s position that its grassroots network should be recognised as a significant component of the wider political effort to secure victory in 2027.

The dispute raises broader questions about coordination between political parties, campaign officials and affiliated support organisations as preparations for the next general elections intensify. Although a national campaign council can provide leadership and strategic direction, the movement argues that translating political ambition into votes requires effective local coordination, sustained engagement with communities and the ability to mobilise supporters across polling units.

Ughulu maintained that the OK Movement had begun its organisational groundwork long before the latest campaign council announcement and would not accept being treated as a temporary support group. He stressed that political leadership should be measured by the ability to prepare, organise and deliver results rather than by public statements or the prominence of individuals appointed to campaign positions. He ended his message with a direct challenge to the party’s preparedness: “The OK Movement is ready. The question is: are they?”