Politics

NDC postpones unveiling of campaign council, gives reason

The NDC recently gave Peter Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, the power to nominate choice leaders for the party’s soon-to-be unveiled campaign council following a face-off with the OK Movement, which had unveiled a campaign council later disowned by the opposition party.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has postponed the unveiling and inauguration of its national campaign council from 20 to 26 October.

He explained that the shift was caused by the “very tight schedule of our presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, who has a very important engagement overseas.”

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this shift and urge everyone not to lose focus on the goal of ensuring victory for our presidential candidate and all NDC candidates in the forthcoming presidential and general elections,” he said.

The NDC had recently given Mr Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, the power to nominate choice leaders of the party’s soon-to-be unveiled campaign council.

The decision followed a face-off between the NDC leadership and members of the OK Movement over setting up a similar campaign council for the 2027 election.

The OK (short for Obi-Kwankwaso) Movement is one of the independent groups mobilising support for Messrs Obi and Kwankwaso.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that, on 17 September, the OK Movement constituted a 59-member campaign council to mobilise support for Messrs Obi and Kwankwaso ahead of the 2027 election.

The support group claimed the campaign council would operate independently of a similar council to be inaugurated by the NDC.

But the NDC disowned the support group, saying it would soon unveil its presidential campaign council for the 2027 election.

It warned the support group that its action could destabilise the party.

However, the support group, in response, rejected the NDC’s position, insisting that it does not require the personal validation or approval of any individual within the party before exercising its legitimate organisational functions in accordance with established processes.

The OK Movement, earlier this month, made a U-turn, saying the support group’s creation of the disowned campaign council did not follow due process.