Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has dissociated itself from the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) constituted on Thursday by Obi-Kwankwaso (OK) Movement.
The party, in a statement signed by its National Chairman, Sen. Moses Cleopas, described the announcement as unauthorised and urged the public and media to disregard it.
OK Movement had, on Thursday, unveiled a 59-member presidential campaign council ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The council has the Director-General of the movement, John Ughulu, as Director-General of the campaign, while the National Secretary, Saadatu Sani, was also listed among the campaign leadership.
It equally has zonal and state coordinators as well as directors for mobilisation, women affairs, strategy, security, legal affairs and other key areas.
Cleopas, in a statement on Sunday, however, said that the purported campaign council should be disregarded.
According to him, all candidates are contesting elections on the platform of NDC and are therefore subject to its authority and discipline, rather than operating as independent candidates.
The NDC chairman said that only the party leadership had the authority to constitute and announce its presidential campaign council.
He added that no individual, candidate or support group was authorised to create or publish campaign structures in the party’s name without approval from the National Working Committee (NWC).
Cleopas, however, acknowledged the contributions of support groups and encouraged their continued support for its political objectives.
Cleopas said such groups could collaborate with the party but should not regard themselves as alternative structures or parallel organs of the NDC.
He also urged members and support groups with grievances to use the party’s internal channels for resolution rather than engaging in public attacks against the party.
The national chairman said that Ughulu had been referred to the appropriate disciplinary organ of the party over what he described as his “excesses” during the party’s primary election in Lagos and repeated disregard for party authority.
He said that the disciplinary process would be conducted in line with the provisions of the party’s constitution.
Cleopas said that NDP remained focused on its issue-based campaign and commitment to delivering what he described as a ‘New Nigeria that is possible’.
