A major trouble may be brewing in the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) following the condemnation of the party’s presidential campaign council list by the Obi-Kwankwaso movement.
John Ughulu, director-general of the OK movement, in a statement issued on Monday, said announcing the list less than three months before the general election raises questions about the party’s readiness for the poll.
Ughulu said most of the big names on listed as members of the council lack the grassroots support needed to win a national election.
The NDC had unveiled a 155-member campaign council on Sunday, naming Seriake Dickson, national leader of the party, as chairman, while Peter Obi, its presidential candidate, serves as co-chairman.
The party also appointed Cleopas Zuwoghe, the NDC national chairman, and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, its vice-presidential candidate, as vice-chairman and co-vice-chairman, respectively.
Ikenna Enekweizu, the party’s national secretary, is to serve as council secretary, while Ibrahim Abdulkarim, an ICT strategist, was appointed director-general.
Ughulu questioned the timing of the announcement and the movement’s assessment of the party’s organisational preparedness.
“With less than three months to the general elections, they are only just announcing their Presidential Campaign Council. What exactly have they been doing all this time? Where is the structure? Where is the strategy? Where is the machinery required to prosecute a serious national election?” Ughulu asked.
“Elections are not won by titles, press releases, political noise, or the number of big names on a campaign council.
“Elections are won through grassroots mobilisation, effective coordination, strategic planning, committed people, and a well-established structure that reaches every polling unit.”
The OK movement DG claimed that many members of the NDC campaign council may eventually seek the group’s support and organisational network.
He said unlike the party, the movement had prioritised grassroots organisation ahead of the election, describing a presidential ambition without a functional grassroots structure as “nothing more than a political wish”.
“The OK Movement is not a political decoration, a temporary support group, or an organisation that exists merely to applaud political leaders,” Ughulu said.
“We are a movement built on principles, driven by purpose, and determined to demonstrate what serious political organisation should look like.
“Let those who are only just waking up to the realities of election preparation learn from the difference between having political ambition and possessing the capacity to execute it. The OK Movement is ready. The question is: are they?”
