NDC Unveils Campaign Council As Dickson, Obi, Kwankwaso Take Charge

* OK Movement mocks late preparations, says rivals may seek its grassroots structure

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has unveiled its National Campaign Council for the 2027 general election, appointing its National Leader, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, as chairman, with its presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, and vice-presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, occupying key positions in the campaign hierarchy.

The announcement has, however, drawn criticism from the OK Movement, whose National Director-General, Hon. John Ozyl Ughulu, questioned the preparedness of political organisations still putting their campaign machinery together, warning that prominent names on a campaign council do not necessarily translate into electoral strength.

Ughulu argued that political ambition without a functional grassroots structure could prove inadequate in a nationwide election, predicting that some political actors who had criticised the movement might eventually seek its organisational networks and mobilisation capacity.

“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.

“The irony is unbelievable! With less than three months to the general election, 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?”

The NDC’s campaign council, according to the announcement, will have the party’s National Chairman, Senator Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe, as vice-chairman, while its National Secretary, Ikenna Morgan Enekweizu, will serve as council secretary. Mallam Ibrahim Hussain Abdulkarim has been appointed Director-General.

The composition brings the party’s principal political figures into a central campaign structure expected to coordinate its electoral strategy, nationwide mobilisation and communication of its policy agenda ahead of the January 2027 general election.

Dickson’s appointment as chairman, with Obi serving as co-chairman and Kwankwaso as co-vice-chairman, places the party’s leading figures at the centre of the campaign organisation as it seeks to translate its political platform into a nationwide electoral operation.

The council is expected to coordinate campaign activities across the states, local government areas, wards and polling units, while aligning the party’s leadership, grassroots organisation and policy messaging around a common strategy.

The NDC said its campaign would be people-centred and issue-based, anchored on its vision of a new, just and prosperous Nigeria. It also called on members, supporters and well-meaning Nigerians to remain united and focused as preparations for the election intensify.

But Ughulu insisted that the announcement of a campaign council, irrespective of the political stature of its members, should not be mistaken for evidence of adequate electoral preparation.

“Elections are not won by titles, press releases, political noise, or the number of big names on a campaign council,” he said.

“Elections are won through grassroots mobilisation, effective coordination, strategic planning, committed people, and a well-established structure that reaches every polling unit.”

He maintained that effective electioneering required sustained groundwork, an established network of committed supporters and the ability to coordinate political activities beyond announcements and public appearances.

According to him, political organisations that delay building their operational structures until the election approaches could find it difficult to convert public enthusiasm and political prominence into votes.

The OK Movement director-general said his organisation had deliberately prioritised grassroots mobilisation and organisational development, arguing that the distinction between political ambition and the capacity to execute it would become clearer as the election drew nearer.

He said: “This is where the OK Movement stands apart. While others are still trying to figure out how to build their structures, the OK Movement has been doing the hard work. We have demonstrated foresight, organisational capacity, strategic thinking, and leadership when it matters most.

“We did not wait for the election to approach before recognising the importance of grassroots organisation. We understood from the beginning that a presidential ambition without a functional grassroots structure is nothing more than a political wish!”

Ughulu also predicted that the pressure of electioneering could compel some political organisations to seek assistance from established mobilisation networks, including those of the OK Movement.

“Let the truth be told: when the pressure mounts and the reality of electioneering sets in, many of those who look down on the OK Movement today may be the same people who will come seeking our coordinators, our networks, our mobilisation capacity, and our organisational expertise,” he said.

He, however, questioned whether such political actors would respect the movement’s independence if they eventually needed its organisational resources.

“But the question is: Will they respect the structure they are now coming to depend on?” he asked.

The NDC’s unveiling of its campaign council and the OK Movement’s criticism highlight the importance of organisation, coordination and grassroots reach in the unfolding contest for the presidency.

For the NDC, the immediate challenge will be to translate the experience and political standing of its campaign leadership into an effective nationwide structure capable of sustaining voter engagement and communicating its policy proposals.

The OK Movement, on its part, is seeking to establish grassroots capacity as a central measure of electoral preparedness, insisting that political organisations must demonstrate their ability to organise and mobilise rather than rely solely on prominent personalities.

Ughulu stressed that the movement was neither a temporary platform for political endorsements nor an organisation established merely to applaud political leaders.

“The OK Movement is not a political decoration, a temporary support group, or an organisation that exists merely to applaud political leaders. We are a movement built on principles, driven by purpose, and determined to demonstrate what serious political organisation should look like,” he said.

He added that leadership should be judged by the quality of preparation and the ability to deliver results, rather than the volume of political rhetoric.

“Leadership is not about who makes the loudest noise. Leadership is about who prepares, who organises, who builds, and who delivers when it matters most,” he said.

Reaffirming the movement’s readiness for the electoral contest, Ughulu challenged other political organisations to demonstrate that they had undertaken the necessary groundwork to compete effectively.

“We have demonstrated our capacity. We have shown our commitment. We have done the necessary groundwork,” he said.

He urged political actors still assembling their campaign machinery to recognise the difference between aspiring to political office and possessing the organisational capacity to pursue that ambition.

“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,” he said.

Ughulu concluded with a challenge to political rivals: “The OK Movement is ready. The question is: Are they?”