The Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, popularly known as the OK Movement, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) have clashed over a 59-member Presidential Campaign Council unveiled by the movement ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The dispute began after the OK Movement announced the council, comprising zonal and state coordinators as well as directors overseeing mobilisation, women’s affairs, strategy, security, legal affairs and other areas.
The movement appointed its Director-General, John Ughulu, as Director-General of the campaign council, while its National Secretary, Saadatu Sani, was named secretary.
However, the NDC National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, dissociated the party from the council, saying it did not originate from the party.
Cleopas maintained that only the party leadership could constitute and announce a Presidential Campaign Council and warned that no individual, candidate or support group was authorised to create or publish a campaign structure in the name of the NDC without prior approval from the National Working Committee.
The NDC said it appreciated the contributions of support groups but insisted that such groups should not operate as alternative or parallel structures of the party.
The OK Movement subsequently rejected the position, insisting that it remained an independent organisation with its own leadership, structure and internal processes.
Its National Secretary, Saadatu Sani, argued that the movement did not require the personal approval of any individual within the NDC to carry out its organisational activities.
She said the movement recognised the authority of political parties within their constitutional and statutory spheres but maintained that the OK Movement was not an organ of the NDC.
The movement also demanded an apology from the NDC chairman over statements it considered defamatory and reaffirmed its intention to continue mobilising support for Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso ahead of the 2027 election.
