UNITY TIMES POLITICAL DESK
The opposition’s attempt to construct a unified political alternative ahead of the 2027 presidential election has encountered an unexpected internal dispute.
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The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has distanced itself from a 59-member Presidential Campaign Council announced by the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, popularly known as the OK Movement.
The movement supports Peter Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, his running mate.
The controversy began after the OK Movement unveiled a campaign structure covering mobilisation, women affairs, strategy, security, legal affairs, information technology and other areas.
But NDC National Chairman Moses Cleopas subsequently said the party did not authorise the council.
He asked the public to disregard the structure, stressing that no individual, candidate or support group was authorised to establish a campaign structure in the party’s name without approval from the National Working Committee.
OK Movement refuses to back down
The response from the movement has been equally firm.
The OK Movement said it did not require the personal approval of any individual within the NDC to perform its organisational functions, arguing that it was an independent political organisation with its own structures and processes.
The disagreement is significant because opposition coalition-building in Nigeria has historically struggled with questions of structure, hierarchy, candidate authority and control of party machinery.
The latest dispute therefore offers an early glimpse into the challenges that could confront the opposition as it attempts to translate a presidential ticket into a nationwide electoral organisation.
For millions of Nigerians watching the 2027 contest, the central issue will not merely be who forms an alliance, but whether the alliance can develop a coherent structure capable of surviving competing interests, personalities and political ambitions.
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