State chairmen of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) have insisted that support groups cannot set up parallel campaign structures or carry out activities without party approval.
The NDC leaders made the revelation during an interview with Punch.
The comments come against the backdrop of disagreements over the activities of the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Some state chairmen alleged that support groups were undermining existing party structures, while others said there was no dispute in their states and that they were working to accommodate the different support groups.
The Osun State NDC Chairman, Charles Omidiji, said the party remained superior to any movement or support group.
According to him, candidates could hold separate campaigns, but only with the party’s approval and in coordination with its structures.
He said candidates should not organise campaigns independently of the party, as the party could be held responsible if any crisis occurred during such activities.
Omidiji reiterated that the party was supreme and responsible for coordinating the campaign structure.
“They are just groups, and we have said that the groups cannot do their campaign in isolation. They may have one-on-one campaigns because you cannot tell a candidate not to campaign on his own. They can campaign on their own, but they will refer back to the party to carry them along.
“It is illegal for any candidate to go for a campaign in a particular place and there is a crisis. It is the party people will hold responsible.
“Authorities cannot give a candidate permission to campaign except the party gives a nod. It is just like an agent; candidates cannot have their agents without the party. It is the party that owns agents. The party supervises the election. So, the party is supreme over any individual group. There is no controversy over that, and they have resolved it. We have made it clear to them,” Omidiji stated.
The chairman added that candidates who went ahead with separate campaigns in the name of their movements would be doing so independently of the party structure.
He said, “If they went ahead to have their separate campaign in the name of their movements, it means they will do the election on their own. The party will leave them to their fate because there won’t be anybody to monitor the election for them if they decide to campaign in isolation. Who will monitor; who will be their agent? It is the party that will take care of all these. Nobody to blame if they do it in isolation. They have to abide by the party constitution.”
Speaking about the party’s campaign structure, he said the NDC was working with various support and interest groups to organise a robust campaign.
However, the NDC Chairman in Anambra State, David Chukwudifu, told the publication that the Obidient Movement had sidelined him and the 326 ward chairmen in the state.
According to him, the state chapter was waiting for the national headquarters to intervene and resolve the issue between the party and the Obidient Movement.
He also accused the NDC Presidential candidate Peter Obi of not responding to his calls to intervene in the crisis.
“I am the founder and chairman of the NDC in the state. I brought the party to Anambra State from Abuja. But there are no political activities in the state because of the way the Obidients are doing things. They have sidelined every one of us, including me and the 326 ward chairmen in the state. All the existing structures in the state have been sidelined and this is affecting us.
“This crisis won’t only affect the party but also the coming election. We are only looking up to the national leadership of the party to resolve this issue.
“Since the Obidient Movement came to the party on May 3, 2026, they have sidelined everybody. We have called on Peter Obi himself, but he is not responding to our calls. If we continue this way, the party will have issues in the coming election.”
The Ogun State NDC Chairman, Femi Alao, said no movement could campaign without the party’s approval, stressing that the party was supreme.
He said, “There is nothing like disagreement between the NDC and the OK Movement. What we are saying is that the party is supreme and we should all come together to have a common front.
“You cannot have a campaign without the approval of the party. We have put in place a mechanism to accommodate all interest groups.”
Also, Kano State NDC Chairman Hussaini Meriga said the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement must abide by the party’s rules and regulations, stressing that the movement operates under the party.
“The party is supreme over any other movement. Though Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso had their separate movements before coming into the same platform to contest, their movements are under the party. They must obey the party’s rules and regulations,” he stated.
This came as the NDC Chairman in Adamawa State, Ibrahim Bebetu, debunked reports of a dispute between the party and the OK Movement.
Bebetu said the national headquarters would release a campaign list that would accommodate all interest groups.
“We are working together. There is nothing like division among us. We will still have another campaign list to accommodate every interest group.
“The mechanism we have put in place is showing the record of our candidates. I believe everyone contesting has their own records. We have every resource to go out to campaign for our candidate, Peter Obi,” he said.