2027: NDC State Chairmen Reject Obi-Kwankwaso Movement’s Parallel Structures

State chairmen of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) have rejected the creation of parallel political structures by the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement (OK Movement) ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that support groups should not take over functions reserved for the political party.

The position comes amid an ongoing disagreement between the NDC and the OK Movement over the organisation of the campaign for the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

The dispute began after the OK Movement unveiled a 59-member Presidential Campaign Council on September 17. The structure included zonal and state coordinators as well as directors responsible for mobilisation, women’s affairs, strategy, security, legal affairs and other areas.

The movement named John Ughulu as Director-General of the campaign council and Saadatu Sani as secretary.

The NDC subsequently dissociated itself from the council, saying it was not authorised or constituted by the party. National Chairman Moses Cleopas said the public should disregard the structure and stressed that only the party’s appropriate organs could constitute or announce an official NDC campaign council.

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The disagreement deepened after the OK Movement insisted that it was an independent political organisation with its own leadership, structures and internal processes.

The movement also said it would not collapse or surrender its national, state, local government and ward structures to the NDC.

However, NDC leaders have maintained that support groups can mobilise for the party’s candidates but should not establish structures that perform the functions of the political party or its official campaign organisation.

NDC National Leader Seriake Dickson has said support groups should complement the party rather than compete with it or operate as parallel structures.

The position has also received a response from Obi himself.

Obi, speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time, said the NDC was the political party to which he and his supporters belonged, while the OK Movement, Obidient groups and Kwankwasiyya should operate as support groups.

He also said the creation of a presidential campaign council by a support group was not appropriate and disclosed that he had not been consulted before the OK Movement announced its 59-member council.

Despite the disagreement, the NDC has taken steps towards establishing its own official campaign machinery.

The party previously gave Obi and Kwankwaso authority to nominate key officials of the NDC Presidential Campaign Council, including the Director-General, Deputy Director-General for the North, campaign spokesman, deputy spokesman, Head of New Media and finance officials, in consultation with the party leadership.

The latest disagreement therefore centres on the distinction between the official NDC campaign structure and independent support organisations backing the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.

While NDC state chairmen have insisted on the authority of the party’s structures, the OK Movement continues to maintain that it has the right to retain its own organisational framework.

The parties and support groups have not indicated that the dispute has affected the candidacy of Obi and Kwankwaso, but the disagreement has become a prominent issue in the organisation of the 2027 opposition campaign.

2027: NDC State Chairmen Reject Obi-Kwankwaso Movement’s Parallel Structures

2027: Lawal Challenges Wike To Clarify Allegiance Over Rainbow Coalition

Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has challenged Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to clarify his political allegiance ahead of the 2027 elections, amid a disagreement between the minister and governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Lawal said Wike could not support President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid while also backing candidates of other political parties in governorship and legislative elections.

The Zamfara governor made the comments in an interview with Channels Television’s Inside Sources on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

“Our message is very, very clear: be on one side, you can’t be on two sides,” Lawal said, arguing that Wike should either fully align with the APC or make his position outside the party clear.

Lawal confirmed that APC governors were effectively asking Wike to join the party if he intended to continue supporting Tinubu’s 2027 presidential campaign.

Asked whether the governors wanted Wike to join the APC, Lawal responded: “Exactly.”

He also said he would discuss Wike’s political position with President Bola Tinubu when the President returns from his working vacation abroad.

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At the centre of the dispute is the Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party platform backing Tinubu’s presidential bid while allowing its members to retain their political affiliations and support candidates in other contests.

Wike, who remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has maintained that his support for Tinubu does not require him to support APC candidates in governorship, National Assembly or state House of Assembly elections. Through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike has described the coalition as a multi-party arrangement rather than an APC platform.

The position has put Wike at odds with the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), the umbrella body of APC governors. The forum has said its members would not support political arrangements capable of undermining Tinubu’s re-election bid, weakening the APC or adversely affecting its candidates in the 2027 elections.

Lawal said he supported the forum’s position and that the APC governors would not change their stance.

He also responded to Wike’s criticism of some APC governors as “lazy”, saying the FCT minister knew those he was referring to and that the performance of individual governors should be assessed based on their records in office.

The exchange between Lawal and Wike adds another dimension to the political realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections, with party affiliation, cross-party alliances and support for candidates at different electoral levels emerging as points of contention.

2027: Lawal Challenges Wike To Clarify Allegiance Over Rainbow Coalition

2027: Fayemi Denies Galadima’s Claim He Is Coordinating Opposition Group Against Tinubu

Former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has rejected a claim by Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) chieftain Buba Galadima that he is coordinating a seven-member opposition group working towards challenging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

Galadima made the allegation during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he discussed possible strategies by opposition politicians ahead of the 2027 election.

According to Galadima, he is one of seven opposition figures meeting under Fayemi’s coordination to develop a strategy for challenging Tinubu.

“I am part of the group of the opposition candidates, seven of us meeting under the coordination of ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State to try to work on that. And we are making progress,” Galadima said.

When asked what the group was working towards, Galadima responded that its objective was “defeating Tinubu.” He did not publicly identify the other members of the alleged seven-person group.

Galadima also outlined his preferred strategy for the 2027 election, arguing that opposition parties should field their own candidates rather than attempt to place a single candidate on the ballot through a joint arrangement at this stage.

He suggested that opposition supporters could subsequently be encouraged to back one candidate if, close to the election, the opposition reached a consensus about which candidate should receive broader support.

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However, Fayemi has denied that he is coordinating the group described by Galadima.

Julius Ogunro, a media aide to the former governor, told TheCable that there was “no truth” in the allegation and referred to an earlier denial issued by Fayemi’s media office.

The latest denial follows a similar claim made in August by Rotimi Amaechi, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate.

Amaechi had said he and Fayemi were involved in initial discussions that later expanded to include other political stakeholders interested in creating a broader opposition platform.

Fayemi’s media office rejected that claim at the time.

Ahmad Sajoh, head of the Fayemi Media Office, said the former governor remained a committed member and leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State.

Sajoh said Fayemi had consistently affirmed his commitment to the APC and was working within the party to address its challenges and advance what he described as its progressive ideals.

Fayemi served two non-consecutive terms as Ekiti State governor on the APC platform between 2010 and 2022. He also served as Minister of Solid Minerals Development under former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The latest controversy comes amid continuing efforts by opposition politicians and groups to explore possible cooperation ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Political actors opposed to the APC administration have held discussions about possible alliances, cooperation and strategies for presenting a stronger challenge at the polls. Different proposals have emerged, including arrangements in which parties retain their individual candidates while coordinating support around a candidate considered acceptable to a wider section of the opposition.

Galadima’s comments form part of that broader discussion, but his claim about Fayemi’s role has not been independently confirmed.

The identities of the other six people allegedly involved in the group have also not been publicly disclosed by Galadima.

Fayemi’s position, as communicated through his media aides, remains that he is committed to the APC and that the claim that he is coordinating the alleged seven-man opposition group is untrue.

The disagreement therefore leaves two conflicting accounts: Galadima says Fayemi is coordinating a group of opposition figures working towards a common strategy against Tinubu, while Fayemi’s representatives reject the claim and maintain that he remains committed to the ruling party.

As political activities ahead of the 2027 general election intensify, further developments will determine whether the reported opposition discussions translate into a formal political arrangement or remain informal consultations among politicians and political groups.

2027: Fayemi Denies Galadima’s Claim He Is Coordinating Opposition Group Against Tinubu