The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has dissociated itself from the 59-member Presidential Campaign Council recently unveiled by the OK Movement, a support group backing the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

In a statement on Saturday, the NDC National Chairman, Cleopas Moses, said the campaign council did not emanate from the party and should therefore be disregarded by the public and the media.

The OK Movement had on Thursday announced the 59-member council comprising zonal and state coordinators as well as directors responsible for mobilisation, women’s affairs, strategy, security, legal affairs and other portfolios.

The movement had also named its Director-General, John Ughulu, and National Secretary, Saadatu Sani, as Director-General and Secretary of the campaign council respectively.

However, Moses said only the NDC leadership had the authority to constitute and announce a presidential campaign council for the party.

“The party hereby dissociates itself in totality from the said OK Movement PCC announcement. It did not emanate from the party and should be disregarded by the public and the media,” he said.

The NDC chairman said the party’s candidates remained subject to its authority and discipline, stressing that they were contesting under the platform of the party and not as independent candidates.

“All candidates of the party must appreciate that they are not running as independent candidates,” Moses said.

“They are products of the party and remain subject to the authority and discipline of the party.

“Therefore, only the party’s leadership can constitute and announce a Presidential Campaign Council.”

He warned members, candidates and support groups against announcing or operating campaign structures in the name of the party without approval from its National Working Committee.

“Henceforth, no individual or group is authorised to announce, constitute, or publish any campaign council, structure, or organ in the name of the party without prior approval from the National Working Committee (NWC),” he said.

Moses acknowledged the contributions of support groups to the party’s activities but cautioned them against establishing what he described as parallel party structures.

“While the party will continue to work collaboratively with all support groups, such groups should not see themselves as alternative party structures or parallel organs of the party,” he said.

He also urged members and support groups with grievances to use the party’s internal mechanisms rather than resorting to public attacks.

The NDC chairman further said Ughulu would be referred to the appropriate disciplinary organ of the party over what he described as his “excesses during the primary election in Lagos state” and “repeated disregard for party authority.”