The camps of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, have dismissed reports of a power struggle among supporters over the composition of the party’s proposed 2027 presidential campaign council.

The denial came amid claims that party chieftains and loyalists from the two camps were jostling for influential positions in the campaign council ahead of the August 19 commencement of presidential and National Assembly campaigns.

Sources within the camp of the two politicians confirmed the development to The PUNCH in separate interviews.

“There is a growing tension on both sides following consultations by the party leadership and the presidential candidate on the choice of membership to constitute the council,” one of the sources told our correspondent.

However, the spokesman for the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Habibu Muhammed, described the reported infighting as speculation.

Muhammed also affirmed that consultations were ongoing among the party, the presidential candidate and other stakeholders.

He said, “That is speculation. There is no power tussle anywhere or infighting over who makes the NDC presidential campaign council.

“What I know actually is that there is no issue concerning the constitution of the campaign council. I know there are ongoing consultations.

“The party, the presidential aspirant and other stakeholders are actually collecting details and working on them. I believe once everything is concluded officially, the membership list will be released.”

Muhammed said the development was not peculiar to the NDC, noting that the ruling All Progressives Congress had also yet to constitute its campaign council.

“I remember people tend to create unnecessary speculation. Maybe because it had to do with the NDC. Otherwise, even the APC has not yet constituted a campaign council. All I know is that there is an attempt actually from the party to make sure that it has a strong and reliable campaign team,” he said.

The Kwankwasiyya image maker added that several support groups had emerged within the party, stressing the need to coordinate their activities to avoid confusion.

“There are also several support groups springing up in the party. We think the best way is for us to have maybe a directorate or somewhere they will also be interconnected instead of allowing people to just be doing things that spring out of control.

“Outside that, there is really nothing like struggling for what you earlier called juicy positions. The campaign council is a call for service, so I don’t think people will kill themselves over what role to play if truly they want the party to win the election and our principals to be up there.”

His position was echoed by the NDC Lagos Central senatorial candidate and Kwankwaso spokesman, Ladipo Johnson, who questioned how individuals could be aggrieved over a list that had yet to be released.

He said, “I am wondering how some persons will be aggrieved over an NDC list that hasn’t been compiled yet. Shouldn’t they wait for the list to be out to confirm whether they make the team or not before agitation?”

Asked whether he or any of his loyalists had been consulted, he said, “Not yet. But all elective candidates even in senatorial districts are expected to campaign for the president. I hope you know that the councils and campaigns are run differently. So let’s see the format they want to use before we jump to conclusions and everything.”

The spokesman for the Kwankwasiyya movement, Dr Habibu Mohammed, also said there was no in-house fighting in the party.

“I want to make it clear to you that there is no in-house fighting in NDC as regards any campaign structure or what have you.

“Both the presidential candidate and his running mate and the party leader, together with other stakeholders, are actually working hand in hand to ensure they have a credible campaign council that will lead the party to success. So there is no division or infighting in the house,” he said.

Muhammed also dismissed the alleged crisis in the party, saying, “As far as we know, there is no problem whatsoever within the party. Nobody is fighting over anything else.”

He noted that the recent establishment of a reconciliation committee had nothing to do with infighting within the party, but was rather aimed at addressing concerns involving contestants who had contested and lost the primary elections, a situation which, according to him, cuts across all political parties.

“That one is also part of the move by the party to make sure that those that have lost in the primary elections or who could not emerge as the candidates of the party were persuaded to be able to feel that they are part of the party, so that one is a normal reconciliation committee that actually deals with the issues of the primaries,” he said.

Mohammed, however, said, “The party is still making last-minute consultations with stakeholders, including the presidential candidate and his running mate, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso.

“As soon as the issue is finalised, the party will officially announce members of the presidential campaign team as well as the name of the Director-General for the campaign team,” he said.

The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr Yunusa Tanko, also cautioned that the campaign council should be viewed as a platform for service rather than personal interests.

He said, “Some people no longer see joining the campaign council as a call to service anymore. It’s now about interest.

“For us in the Obidient Movement, it’s still about service. If I’m worthy to serve in a particular place, I serve. If I’m not worthy to serve in a particular place, I will leave it so that somebody else, who is better, can come and serve.”

The Director-General of the OK Movement, John Ughulu, said such disagreements were not unusual as political parties approached campaign season, but maintained that his group would not interfere in the affairs of the party.

“I know we’ll get to this level. Normally, when you are approaching the campaign time, you are likely to have things like this coming up. Again, parties are not supposed to form the campaign council structure. It’s not their jurisdiction.

“However, we are just a movement. I don’t know much about what their plans are. But we are waiting for the leaders to decide, and we wouldn’t like to dabble in the party affairs. We are more interested in supporting and campaigning for our principals,” he stated.

When contacted, the NDC National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, also dismissed the reported scramble for positions.

According to him, the party was consulting stakeholders before unveiling the council.

“That is not true. Even the APC, which is the ruling party, has not constituted its campaign council.

“The party leadership is engaged in consultation with all relevant stakeholders with a view to constituting a broad campaign council,” he emphasised.

The controversy comes as the Independent National Electoral Commission published the particulars and credentials of the 19 presidential candidates and their running mates for the 2027 general election, ahead of the commencement of presidential and National Assembly campaigns on August 19.

The publication, made pursuant to Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2026, gives eligible Nigerians an opportunity to scrutinise the information and credentials submitted by the candidates.

Obi is contesting the presidential election on the NDC platform, with Kwankwaso as his running mate, while President Bola Tinubu of the APC is seeking re-election with Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is contesting on the platform of the African Democratic Congress with former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate.

The emergence of the NDC campaign council is expected to assume greater significance as the August 19 campaign commencement date approaches and the party seeks to consolidate the structures and support groups backing its presidential ticket. (PUNCH)