2027: Obi-Kwankwaso Movement Unveils 59-Member Campaign Council – THISAGE

By Ayo Kehinde

The Obi-Kwankwaso Movement has established a 59-member Presidential Campaign Council to coordinate its nationwide mobilization for the 2027 general elections, with its Director General, John Ughulu, taking over as Campaign Director General.

The structure, announced in a statement released Thursday by the movement’s national secretary, Saadatu Sani, includes zonal and state coordinators, as well as directors who oversee critical areas of the campaign.

The development represents an important organizational step by the movement as it prepares to mobilize support for the joint presidential ticket of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

The campaign structure covers the six geopolitical zones, the Federal Capital Territory and the 36 states, with officials tasked with coordinating mobilization and engagement across the country.

Ughulu, who is the movement’s founding director general, will lead the campaign board as director general, while Sani will remain national secretary and be part of the campaign’s leadership.

The six zonal coordinators are Suleiman Abubakar for North Central; Hashimu Dungurawa for the North West; Amadu Gwambe for the North East; Dr. Adebayo Adefolaseye for the South West; Christopher Ighodaro for the South-South; and El-Shaddai Ikeh for the southeast. Ibrahim Jabir has been appointed FCT coordinator.

The movement has also appointed coordinators for the 36 states, including Maiyaki Samson for Kogi; Tokji Mandim for Plateau; Yusuf Abdullahi for Nasarawa; Aliyu Tershaku for Benue; Awal Goma for Niger; and Kazeem Olawuyi for Kwara.

The North West facility has coordinators for Kaduna, Sokoto, Kano, Zamfara, Jigawa, Kebbi and Katsina, while Adamawa, Gombe, Taraba, Bauchi, Yobe and Borno are covered by the North East facility.

In the South West, coordinators have been appointed for Osun, Oyo, Ekiti, Ogun, Lagos and Ondo.

The South-South structure covers Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers, while Imo, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Abia have coordinators in the South East.

The movement also established directorates to manage specific aspects of the campaign.

Those nominated include Rev. Mike Agbon, Director of the Inter-Ethnic Group in Northern Nigeria; Sabo Gashua, Director, Grassroots Mobilization; Glory Adayi, Director, Women’s Affairs; Kabir Yahaya, Director, Outreach and Engagement; Abdumumini Tijjani, Director, Mobilization; Yusuf Mani, Director, Special Assignments; and Peace Daful, Director of Procurement.

Others are Prof. Charles Nwekeaku, South East Municipal Manager; Sunmisola Adebayo, Director, Information Technology; Kingdom Okere, Director of Legal Affairs; Abiodun Dabiri, Director, Strategy and Planning; Richard Enemona, CSP (Rtd.), Director, Security and Intelligence; and Aisha Abdulrahaman, Chief Administrative Officer.

The agreement gives the movement a chain of command that extends from the national leadership through geopolitical zones and states to local governments, districts and communities.

Sani, in his congratulatory message to the nominees, described their selection as a responsibility that requires sacrifice, leadership and service.

“Your selection is not simply an appointment; it is a call to duty, sacrifice, leadership and service to Nigeria,” he said.

He charged members of the council to take the vision and aspirations of Obi and Kwankwaso directly to Nigerians across the country.

“You have been entrusted with the task of taking the vision, message and aspirations of our principals directly to the Nigerian people, from cities to the grassroots, from states to local governments and from neighborhoods to every community across the federation,” he said.

According to her, the movement was built not around individuals seeking personal recognition, but around what she described as a broader national vision.

“The OK movement is not built around individuals seeking personal recognition. It is a movement driven by a broader national vision: to mobilize Nigerians around the possibility of a better, more prosperous, united and functional Nigeria,” he said.

Sani urged council members to approach their assignments with discipline, loyalty, humility and courage, stressing that effective coordination would be crucial to the campaign.

“The road ahead will require hard work. It will require strategic thinking, grassroots mobilization, effective communication and, above all, the ability to work together as one formidable political family,” he said.

He said the council’s immediate responsibility was to ensure that the message of the movement’s principals reached Nigerians across the country.

“Our responsibility is to ensure that the message of our principals reaches every Nigerian and that the voice of the people is heard across the length and breadth of our nation,” Sani added.

The inauguration of the electoral council comes after the movement reaffirmed last month that it will maintain its independent structure rather than merge with another political organization ahead of the 2027 elections.

The group also supported Ughulu as founder and director general, maintaining its organizational identity and supporting the Obi-Kwankwaso political project.

The decision came amid broader efforts by political actors and opposition groups to build structures and alliances ahead of the 2027 presidential elections.

The OK Movement has positioned itself as the national mobilization platform for the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket, with the new council expected to coordinate its activities across states, local governments and districts.

The formation of the electoral council also comes days after the movement condemned the reported disruption of Obi’s convoy during his visit to Benue State.

The movement called for an impartial investigation into the incident, saying security personnel deliberately exercised restraint to prevent the situation from escalating into violence.

Sani, in his message to new members, said the movement’s task is clear.

“Your appointment is an honor, but above all it is a responsibility. The journey has begun. The assignment is clear. The mission is Nigeria.”