WorldStage— The emerging opposition coalition ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections is facing severe internal friction as the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement (OK Movement) has openly defied the leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), firmly refusing to disband its independent structures or submit to party control.
The operational rift, which escalated sharply on Monday, November 2, 2026, stems from the OK Movement’s announcement of an independent 59-member Presidential Campaign Council to back candidates Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso.
NDC National Leader Senator Seriake Dickson and National Chairman Senator Cleopas Moses swiftly condemned the move, declaring that support groups cannot establish parallel structures or official campaign organs without the strict approval of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
The NDC leadership reinforced the principle of party supremacy, cautioning that independent campaign units only breed confusion among voters.
However, the OK Movement has rejected any form of subordination.
In a joint statement, the movement’s Director-General, John Ughulu, and National Secretary, Saadatu Sani, maintained that the coalition is an independent political entity.
They insisted that its vast nationwide network—spanning from the national level down to individual wards—will not be collapsed, merged, or subsumed into the NDC structure.
Ughulu further challenged the NDC’s institutional preparedness, criticizing the party’s recently released official National Campaign Council list.
He asserted that while the NDC is just assembling its hierarchy, the OK Movement has already laid comprehensive groundwork.
“The OK Movement is ready. The question is: are they?” Ughulu remarked, arguing that a presidential campaign lacking deep grassroots structures amounts to little more than a political wish.
Political analysts warn that this standoff creates dangerous dual centers of power within the primary opposition bloc.
By operating an administrative system outside the political party fielding its preferred candidates, the OK Movement risks fracturing the collective strength needed to challenge the ruling party in 2027.
With both factions digging in, pressure is mounting on Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso to intervene directly and resolve the structural impasse before the electoral campaign fully derails.
