Elochukwu Benjamin
Awka
The Anambra State Chairman of the Obidient-Kwankwaso (OK) Movement, Dr. Tim Egboka, has charged newly appointed coordinators of the movement to strengthen its grassroots structures across the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Egboka gave the charge in Awka during the inaugural meeting of newly appointed state, zonal and local government coordinators, urging them to move beyond political enthusiasm by building functional structures across Anambra’s 21 local government areas, wards and polling units.
“When leaders are leading from the front, followers will easily follow. You people should lead by example,” he said.
He said the movement’s immediate priority was to harmonise existing structures and ensure it had committed and capable members at the grassroots.
According to him, coordinators should prioritise recruiting members based on commitment and capacity rather than simply increasing membership figures.
“This is time to work,” Egboka added, urging the coordinators to make the necessary sacrifices to establish effective structures across the state.
The meeting also focused on efforts to bring together various support groups associated with former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Egboka said representatives of groups including the Obidient Movement, Kwankwasiya, Village Boys, COPDEMN and Grassroots Alliance had been consulted as part of the coordination process.
He said the objective was to create a unified grassroots network that would work with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2027 elections.
“All the support groups have been brought together to work with the party so that we can collectively win the 2027 general election in the state,” he said.
The NDC Chairman in Anambra State, Rt. Hon. Ikem Uzoezie, urged supporters of Obi and Kwankwaso to formalise their participation by joining the party at the ward level.
“You cannot profess that you are supporting Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso’s emergence as President and Vice-President without being a member of NDC at the ward level,” Uzoezie said.
He also encouraged members interested in serving as polling-unit agents to register with the party, noting that the compilation of agents was already underway at the ward level.
Uzoezie said grassroots participation was essential, adding that he attends ward and local government meetings despite serving as the state chairman.
The state chairman further urged supporters to back the party’s candidates across all elective positions, including the Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly, alongside the presidential ticket.
“What we are doing now is not just to win election for Peter Obi in Anambra,” he said.
Also speaking, the leader of Associates of Peter Obi and the Obidient Movement, Prof. Pat Obi, urged the newly appointed coordinators to place the broader political project above personal interests. He called for unity among the various support groups and encouraged their leaders to combine their human and organisational resources.
Prof. Obi said the coordinators were selected on the basis of character and competence and challenged them to justify the confidence reposed in them through effective mobilisation at the grassroots.
