OK Movement Refuses to Join NDC Before 2027 Elections

The Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, known as the OK Movement, has declared that it will not dissolve or hand over its structure to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as the 2027 elections approach.

John Ughulu, the Director-General of the OK Movement, stated that the movement will not let the NDC or any other group take over its national, state, local government, and ward structures.

Ughulu was responding to comments made by the NDC National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, about the role of support groups in the party’s campaign for 2027.

Dickson said that political groups should support the political party instead of competing with it or working as separate entities. He made these remarks during the unveiling of former Secretary General to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, in Abuja on Tuesday.

The former governor of Bayelsa noted that having multiple support groups is normal in political campaigns. He stressed that these groups should support, not compete with, the political party behind their candidates.

Dickson called the OK Movement’s choice to set up a presidential campaign council “unheard of” and “nonsensical.” He emphasized that the NDC would work with support groups but wanted them to stay within their designated roles.

Ughulu defended the movement, saying it is not like regular support groups. He insisted that the OK Movement is an independent political organization.

He said, “I strongly agree with the position expressed by Senator Seriake Dickson. However, there appears to be a missing link in the argument currently being advanced.

“If the Obidient Movement is regarded as a support movement, and if the Obidients and Kwankwasiyya have equally been described by Idris Zekeri, while claiming to speak on behalf of Peter Obi, as a support movement, then it becomes necessary to properly define the identity and status of the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, popularly known as the OK Movement.”

“For the avoidance of doubt, the OK Movement is not a support group created as an appendage of any political party or another movement. It is independently organized, managed, and structured through its own established movement mechanisms.”

Ughulu also disagreed with Dickson's view that the movement’s decision to set up a campaign council is “nonsensical.”

He explained that the movement includes members from different political parties who support the NDC’s presidential candidates, Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso.

“So it is not nonsensical as claimed by Seriake Dickson; rather, the national leader of the NDC Party should come to realize that politics has long evolved from the conventional political system he is used to.

“The OK Movement comprises individuals and members from different political parties who share a common commitment to the ideals, values, and political aspirations represented by the presidential candidate, Peter Obi and his running mate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso,” he stated.

He confirmed that the movement will keep working to support the candidates while maintaining its independence.

Ughulu also stressed that the movement will keep its independence and internal management. He noted that working with the NDC does not mean they will be subordinate to it.

“The OK Movement remains an independent organization. Its existence and internal administration are not subject to the internal management of the NDC.

“The OK Movement will not be collapsed, merged, or absorbed into the NDC or any other organization. Cooperation and political alignment do not extinguish the independent identity of the Movement,” he said.

“Our organizational structure remains the property and responsibility of the OK Movement. We will not surrender our established national, state, local government, and ward structures to any political party or external support group for management,” he added.

Ughulu argued that the movement has the right to create its own campaign and mobilization structures for the NDC’s candidates. He said he was not aware of any party rule that prohibits such arrangements.

He emphasized that the movement does not want to take over the NDC’s authority.

He warned against any efforts to take control of the movement’s structures.

“Let us also make one important distinction absolutely clear. The OK Movement does not claim supremacy over the NDC Party, nor does it seek to usurp the constitutional powers of the party.

“We respect the NDC and recognize the constitutional authority of the party over its own internal affairs. Equally, the NDC and every other organization must recognize the independent identity, structure, and legitimate interests of the OK Movement.

“However, we will resist, through lawful and democratic means, any attempt by any individual or group to disenfranchise members of the movement, appropriate its structures, or unilaterally redefine its identity. We did not build the OK Movement overnight.

“Therefore, no individual can simply declare that structure dissolved, transferred, or absorbed without the authority of the Movement’s legitimate organs. We will not be intimidated, surrender our identity, or abandon the structures we have built,” he warned.

This disagreement arose after the party distanced itself from a 59-member Presidential Campaign Council set up by the OK Movement to gather support for Obi and Kwankwaso before the 2027 elections.

The NDC National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, stated that the party did not approve the movement to form or announce a campaign council in its name.

The party also cautioned that no individual, candidate, or support group could create a campaign structure for the NDC without its National Working Committee’s approval.

In response, the OK Movement’s National Secretary, Saadatu Sani, demanded an apology from Cleopas. She insisted that the movement is an independent political organization with its own leadership, structure, and internal processes.