NDC National Leader Seriake Dickson says support groups cannot create party's 2027 campaign council
NDC National Leader Seriake Dickson, a senator and former Bayelsa governor, stated that political support groups cannot establish the party's presidential campaign council because they are not a political party. Speaking on Tuesday while receiving former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal into the NDC, Dickson's comments came after the OK Movement constituted a 59-member PCC last Thursday to mobilize support for Peter Obi's and Rabiu Kwankwaso's 2027 presidential bid. The NDC subsequently disowned the OK Movement's PCC on Saturday, insisting the party will unveil its own official structure.
Dickson argued that support groups like the OK Movement do not compete with the NDC or its established campaign structures, emphasizing they should focus on grassroots mobilization rather than attempting to replicate party functions. "Support groups don't compete for supremacy, for space. Support groups are what they are: Support groups. They don't play the role of a political party. They don't sponsor candidates. They provide grassroots support, mobilisation support," he said. He added that no support group would dare claim to be setting up a presidential campaign council, calling such actions "unheard of" and "nonsensical."
The NDC national leader stressed that support groups should not become critics of the party sponsoring their chosen candidates, stating they should not attack or criticize the NDC. He noted the party has a department responsible for coordinating and registering support groups, welcoming more organizations to join grassroots efforts for Obi-Kwankwaso. "So, our advice to support groups is the more they are, the merrier. We have a role for you to play. Your work is huge. Focus on that work which is providing support for our candidates at grass root level," he said.
This internal NDC conflict over campaign structure raises questions about opposition unity ahead of 2027. Will the OK Movement and similar groups comply with the party's directive, or will this tension fragment support for the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket as elections approach?