Peter Obi Rejects OK Movement Campaign Council, Backs Party Authority

During a Thursday broadcast on Arise News, Peter Obi—who alongside Rabiu Kwankwaso seeks the presidency in 2027—expressed opposition to a campaign council established by the OK Movement, the support group bearing both their names. Obi objected to the 59-member Presidential Campaign Council, contending that permitting such structures muddies boundaries between grassroots engagement and party institutional machinery.

The presidential candidate insisted that only the NDC possesses authority to establish official campaign councils, not allied grassroots organisations. He aligned himself with NDC National Leader Seriake Dickson's position on the disagreement, stressing that all supporting factions—encompassing the OK Movement, Obidient Movement groups, and Kwankwasiyya organisations—must function exclusively as mobilisation bodies, avoiding duplication of party institutional functions.

Obi disclosed that formation of this council proceeded without his approval or that of Kwankwaso. He called upon organisations mobilising behind his candidacy to devote themselves to voter engagement for the NDC rather than establishing alternative governance frameworks.

In Obi's view, maintaining such organisational boundaries safeguards cohesion throughout the 2027 electoral cycle. Theo Abu Agada, NDC Director of New Media and Strategic Communications, publicly commended Obi's remarks, applauding his clarification distinguishing legitimate from illegitimate activity within movement structures.

Agada's statements indicate that prominent party officials view Obi's pronouncement as settling the internal conflict about whether the council possesses legitimacy.