Support groups don’t compete with political parties, it is unheard of – NDC Leader Dickson warns OK Movement

The National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Seriake Dickson, has warned support groups backing the party and its presidential ticket against creating parallel structures or competing with the party’s official campaign machinery ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Dickson said support organisations had an important role to play in mobilising voters and promoting the candidacies of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, but stressed that they must operate within clearly defined boundaries.

He spoke on Tuesday when the NDC received former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, at Dickson’s residence in Abuja.

His comments followed a recent dispute over the activities of the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, a support organisation for the NDC presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

The group had announced a 59-member presidential campaign council, prompting the NDC to dissociate itself from the structure and state that it did not originate from the party.

Dickson said the emergence of support groups was normal in electoral politics, but maintained that such organisations were expected to complement, rather than rival, the political party sponsoring the candidates.

“These are things that we are taking for granted. We must have support groups. As party managers and experienced people who have been in the trade, these are normal things. These are things that don’t even call for discussion or conversation or even argument. It’s normal,” he said.

“You have the TPO, you have several support groups. Several, several groups. Support groups don’t compete with the political party that is sponsoring candidates. Support groups don’t compete for supremacy, for space.”

According to Dickson, support groups should concentrate on grassroots mobilisation and promoting the party’s candidates rather than attempting to assume the responsibilities of the political party.

“Support groups are what they are: support. They don’t play the role of the political party. They don’t sponsor candidates. They provide grassroots support, mobilisation support,” he said.

“They don’t convert themselves to become critics of the political party sponsoring them. They don’t attack the political party sponsoring them. They don’t do that.”

He said the NDC had an existing structure responsible for coordinating support groups and would continue to accommodate organisations willing to contribute to the party’s mobilisation efforts.

Dickson also criticised the idea of support groups establishing presidential campaign councils independent of the party.

“Never in the history everywhere in the world have support groups set up a campaign presidential campaign council. It’s unheard of and those who have a duty to educate and call people to order should do so,” he said.

However, he emphasised that the party was not opposed to support groups and recognised their potential contribution to its campaign.

“That does not mean that they don’t have a role. We work with them. There’s a role for them. Link with the campaign teams when set up, link with the party at the grassroots and in the states and galvanise support,” Dickson said.

“Your work is huge. Big. So focus on that work, which is providing support for our candidates, galvanising support at the grassroots level, propagating the candidates and the party. That’s the way it is done.”

Dickson Explains NDC’s By-Election Strategy

On the NDC’s performance in recent National Assembly by-elections, Dickson said the party had chosen to conserve its limited resources for the 2027 general elections.

“You know, by-elections are not things an opposition party and a new party should come and dissipate energy on,” he said.

“The small resources you have, you go and push your agenda. We are waiting to mobilise and show strength, as you said, in the main election.”

Dickson said the party’s activities would become more visible as its campaign gathers momentum, particularly in the months leading up to the 2027 elections.

“You will see the strength of NDC. In fact, you will see it before then, when we roll out our campaigns,” he said.

Dickson Condemns Political Violence

The NDC leader also condemned alleged attacks and violence involving opposition parties in different parts of the country and called on security agencies to identify and prosecute those responsible.

“Let me on that note call for cessation of violence and attacks meted out to opposition parties in so many states. We have condemned this several times. I want to use this opportunity to condemn them,” Dickson said.

He said there should be consequences for those involved in political violence, describing such acts as encouragement of criminality and disorder.

“There have to be consequences for that misbehaviour and encouragement of violence and criminality and brigandage,” he said.

Dickson called for greater support for security agencies to enable them to respond effectively to political violence and hold perpetrators accountable.

“So that those who are trying to introduce needless violence and brigandage, whether in Benue, whether in Imo, whether in other parts of the country, in Lagos and everywhere, they need to be stopped, they need to be identified, they need to be punished,” he said.

He urged political parties, support groups and other actors to respect the rules governing the electoral contest as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.

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