Ahead of the 2027 elections, the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement (OK Movement) is gradually reshaping the political dynamics of the Southeast region, LAWRENCE NJOKU writes.

It was almost granted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would make a smooth sail in the Southeast region in the 2027 elections following its penetrations until the defection of the presidential candidates of the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the 2023 polls, Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso respectively, to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

Obi and Kwankwaso’s defection to the NDC, with the duo expected to emerge as the presidential and vice presidential candidates of the party, has birthed what is now known as 'OK Movement'. Members and non-members of the NDC are embracing this movement, a development that is seriously challenging the power dynamics of the Southeast region.

With two fingers lifted and imposing pictures of Obi and Kwankwaso, several platforms in the region now read, “Enugu is OK; Imo is OK; Anambra is Ok,” among others.

Obi and Kwankwaso have become household names in the politics of the country since the conclusion of the 2023 general election. Aside from being governors in Anambra and Kano States at different times, the duo had run against each other during the 2023 presidential election on different party platforms. While Obi, who flew the flag of the Labour Party in the election came second, Kwankwaso came fourth running on the platform of the NNPP. Many analysts believed that the failure of the duo to coalesce and confront the APC during the last elections contributed to their failures.

However, in the build up to the 2027 elections, Obi and Kwankwaso have agreed to work together on the platform of the ADC with an eye on the Presidency. They were together at the African Democratic Congress (ADC), but moved to the NDC when it was glaring that the leadership crisis in the party could jeopardise their ambitions.

Since crossing over to the NDC, the party has continued to witness an unusual popularity and vigour in the Southeast, Obi’s geo-political zone. It has suddenly become a beautiful bride. Politicians are trooping into the party to register and campaign for its ticket with a view to contesting in the coming elections.

The APC, which currently controls three states in the region including Enugu, Imo and Ebonyi States, had mouthed how it would win elections in the region because of President Bola Tinubu’s achievements and the internal crises rocking other major political parties in the country. It had taunted the opposition as not serious and leveraged its influence as the ruling party to woo political heavyweights into its fold. But under the current political atmosphere, the ruling party would have to contend with the NDC for votes in the region.

But Obi and Kwankwaso’s defection to the NDC is also unsettling the party in almost all the states of the Southeast region. Aside from the tendencies of those who want to leverage the platform to contest elections, the party has become unstable as a result of leadership squabbles.

In states such as Enugu, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi, members of the party are locked in bitter quarrels over the authenticity of offices. In Enugu, the party had its congresses and elected its leadership before the entry of Obi and Kwankwaso. However, since they joined with several of their followers, those who emerged from the congresses have not been inaugurated. Pained by the delay in the ratification of the congresses held in the state, the Enugu State Working Committee wrote to the national leadership asking the leadership to either inaugurate them or face a court action.

The petitioners expressed anger that days after a successful congress, the national secretariat was allegedly planning to hold a fresh congress in the state, and cautioned that such action could be detrimental to the party’s future.

While recalling the efforts put in place towards building the party after their meeting with Senator Seriake Dickson sometime in April this year, they said things took a different turn when “one Ibuchukwu Obeta threatened Dr. Johnpaul Anih and other members of the party, citing that the party in Enugu State as his personal property with which he will deal as he pleases.”

“His threats led him to inviting police officers for the purpose of arresting the South-East Zonal Vice Chairman, Chief Teddy Odeh. It took the intervention of some leaders of the party at the national level to quell the chaos orchestrated by Ibuchukwu Obeta,” they said.

The members insisted that they would resort to court if their request for the inauguration of the state leadership was not carried out in a matter of days.

In Abia State, the party is still finding it difficult to settle down. Some bigwigs such as Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who joined the party earlier, have left over alleged inability of the party to accommodate the deluge of politicians joining the platform.

The situation is similar in Ebonyi and Imo states where there are contests for party offices and individual scrambles for the tickets of the party.

Despite these contentions, what is lifting the party is the name of Obi and Kwankwaso, otherwise known as the OK Movement. Several platforms are springing up in support of the OK Movement in the region with the sole aim to deliver both men at the election.

A senatorial aspirant of the NDC for Enugu West, Ogochukwu Onyema, a lawyer, told The Guardian that the movement has taken off, stressing that their meetings had always been well attended.

“Southeast is OK. We have done it before even without preparation and we will do it again. The OK Movement will achieve maximal input in the region. I am confident that it will take the overall seats in the National Assembly. We have embraced it and we are very comfortable with it,” he stated.

Onyema, popularly called OAU, insisted that Obi and Kwankwaso meant a lot in the drive to reposition Nigeria for greatness, stressing that the party was lucky to have them in its fold. He claimed that the collective interests of Nigerians is to support them attain the Presidency in 2027 irrespective of the political platform.

Last week, after a summit in Enugu that drew members from the region, the movement stated in a communique that it was committed to “practically championing” the ideals of the Obi–Kwankwaso alliance, which it noted centres on inclusiveness and equal opportunity, where “the son of a nobody can rise to become somebody without knowing anybody.”

The movement further expressed confidence that an administration led by the duo would prioritise transparency, accountability, and prudent management of public resources.

It added that such a government would focus on production-driven policies, quality education, improved healthcare delivery, and human capital development.

As part of its political strategy, the movement directed its coordinators at state, local council, ward, and polling unit levels to commence aggressive grassroots sensitisation and membership mobilisation under the NDC, particularly across the Southeast.

Reaffirming its optimism, the movement declared that “with Obi-Kwankwasiya, a new Nigeria is possible in 2027.”

The communiqué was jointly signed by the Southeast Zonal Director-General, El-Shaddai Ikeh; National Legal Adviser and Southeast leader, Okere Kingdom Nnamdi; and state coordinators from Anambra, Imo, Enugu, Abia, and Ebonyi states.

Meanwhile, the Obi-Kwankwaso Village Boys are further strengthening the movement in the zone.

Led by former National Chairman of APGA, Maxi Okwu and National leader of Njiko Ndigbo, the Rev. Christopher Okechukwu, the group said it was created to ensure that Obi and Kwankwaso emerge as the president and vice president of Nigeria in 2027.

“We urge every citizen of the Southeast zone that is 18 years and above and possessing a PVC, living within Southeast and outside, to be highly mobilised and sensitised to come out and vote massively for Peter Obi and Kwankwaso on the 13th of January, 2027.

“We applaud this ticket because the Presidency should be in the South for another four years and then return to the North for eight years.

“We understand and believe in the heterogeneous structure/nature of Nigeria; where every tribe and religion will be recognised, respected and given a chance to express freely her existence and potential as citizens of Nigeria. Hence, we support the Christian/Muslim ticket that comes with Peter Obi (Christian) and Rabiu Kwankwaso (Muslim),” they wrote.

The hope of many that have embraced the NDC is that the Obi wave, which uplifted the LP and its candidates in 2023, would be replicated in 2027, through the OK Movement. But many analysts think it would be an uphill task looking at the fact that the current challenge is against incumbents who are desirous of retaining power as well as a political party that is not ready to lose control. So, whether the efforts of the OK Movement would materialise to victory for all those who have identified with it, especially those gunning for offices in the 2027 elections, or would amount to a mere conjecture remain to be seen. (The Guardian)