Senator Seriake Dickson, National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has issued a warning to political support groups, insisting they must not establish structures that perform the functions of a party’s official campaign machinery.
Dickson gave the warning on Tuesday in Abuja while receiving former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, into the NDC.
His remarks come amid a simmering dispute between the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, popularly known as the OK Movement, and the NDC over the creation of a 59-member Presidential Campaign Council.
The OK Movement, a support group backing the NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, for the 2027 election, announced the council on September 17. The NDC immediately dissociated itself from the structure, saying it did not emanate from the party and should be disregarded.
The movement fired back, insisting it did not require the NDC’s permission to carry out its organisational functions.
But speaking on Tuesday, Dickson drew a clear line between the roles of support groups and political parties.
“You have several support groups. Support groups don’t compete with the political party that is sponsoring candidates. Support groups don’t compete for supremacy, for space,” he said.
“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.”
The former Bayelsa State governor also warned support groups against turning against the parties they were established to support.
“They don’t convert themselves to become critics of the political party sponsoring. They don’t attack the political party sponsoring. They don’t do that,” he said.
Dickson described the OK Movement’s decision to set up a presidential campaign council as highly irregular, saying it was unheard of in Nigerian politics.
“None of them will dare say they are setting up a presidential campaign council. It’s unheard of. Nonsensical. And those who have a duty to educate and call people to order should do so,” he said.
He noted that the NDC has a department responsible for coordinating and registering support groups, adding that the party welcomes more organisations willing to mobilise support for its candidates — provided they operate within the party’s established structure.
Meanwhile, the NDC has begun moves to constitute its own Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 election.
The party said on Tuesday that Obi and Kwankwaso had been given the authority to nominate key officers of the council in consultation with the party leadership.
The positions include Director-General, Deputy Director-General for the North, campaign spokesman and deputy spokesman, Head of New Media, Finance Director and Deputy Finance Director.
The NDC said the arrangement followed consultations between Obi, Kwankwaso, Dickson and other party leaders, as it prepares to inaugurate the official campaign council.
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