September 28, (THEWILL) – A few hours after the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, declared that the OK Movement, Obidient Movement and Kwankwasiyya are support groups that should respect the supremacy of the party, the leadership of the Ok movement maintained its stand that it was equal in status, structure and members to the NDC.
In a television interview on September 25, 2026, Obi said the three groups must obtain his approval and that of his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, before taking any action for or on behalf of the party ahead of the 2027 general election.
Obi said, “NDC is the political party we all belong to and we agree with the position of the leader, Dickson. OK Movement, Obidient group, Kwankwasiyya and other supporting groups are supporting groups. They must play their role in supporting the party; they should not play the role of the party.
“We find a situation where one of the supporting groups is using the nomenclature that it is forming the presidential campaign council. It shouldn’t be. It’s wrong. You are supporting. OK Movement is Obi and Kwankwaso, so whatever you do must have the express approval of both of us
Hours later, the OK Movement fired back at Obi, insisting that its position on its presidential campaign structure remains unchanged and stating that the Presidential Campaign Council it announced remains valid and operational.
National Director-General of the movement, Hon. John Ozyl Ughulu, said the movement was independent from the NDC and that its internal structure and leadership decisions do not require the approval of the party or any individual leader.
“We have stated clearly and consistently that the OK Movement is an independent political organisation. Accordingly, its existence, internal structure, leadership decisions and organisational mechanisms do not require the validation or approval of the National Leader of the NDC Party, HE Senator Seriake Dickson, or any other individual within the party leadership,” Ughulu said in a statement, adding that the movement recognises all candidates contesting on the NDC platform as potential beneficiaries of its grassroots mobilisation and political structure.
No candidate, Ughulu maintained, should “consider himself or herself superior to another because of political position, office or proximity to party leadership.”
It also rejected any suggestion that it had claimed superiority over the NDC, maintaining that the two organisations were distinct.
“The NDC Party is a political party with its own constitutional structures, while the OK Movement is an independent political organisation with its own principles, values, leadership and organisational framework,” he said.
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The movement further said it was financially buoyant to support and run its structure and personnel and requires no funds from either Obi or the party.
According to the statement, the movement’s position on its independence had been communicated before the announcement of its Presidential Campaign Council.
“The NDC Party is entitled to constitute its own campaign structures, just as the OK Movement is entitled to organise and manage its own affairs within the limits of applicable law,” Ughulu said and warned against any attempt to “undermine, appropriate, dissolve or otherwise interfere with its legitimate structure and leadership.
It, however, said its position was not about confrontation but about “clarity, institutional respect and the protection of organisational independence.”
“Our structure remains as announced. Our principles remain unchanged. Our mission remains clear: to mobilise Nigerians towards a better and transformed Nigeria.”
Hours after Ughulu’s submission, a former member of the movement’s national leadership slammed Ughulu, saying that his leadership has led to a split in its administrative structure. The member, Justin Ijeh, at the weekend, expressed support for the position of NDC founder, Senator Seriake Dickson, National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe and Obi, and distanced himself and other members of his group from Ughulu’s management.
Ijeh, who described himself as the Director – General of the campaign council for the party’s governorship candidate in Delta State, claimed that Ughulu’s leadership style had rocked the movement at one time, and Obi had to intervene by asking the executive committee under Ughulu to step down and allow an oversight committee to provide an amicable solution to the leadership crisis.
“But Ughulu rejected the peace moves, leading to a split in the organization. Our group is not privy to Ughulu’s announcement of the presidential campaign council,” Ijeh said, adding that, “in a few days we are going to announce an authentic OK Movement.
He disclosed that the movement’s current leadership crisis has not affected its structure, as its membership at the grassroots, ward and local government levels have been working independently of the national leadership.
“OK Movement remains intact. It is a voluntary organization,” Ijeh concluded.
Since its composition and announcement of its presidential campaign council, even before the NDC did, the OK Movement has been embroiled in a conflict with the NDC leadership, which rejected the declared campaign council, labelling the move as an anti-party activity, and summoned Ughulu and National Secretary, Sadautu Sani, to appear before a disciplinary committee of the party.
The pair rejected the summons and instead demanded an apology from the National Chairman, Senator Cleopas.
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