The Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, popularly known as the OK Movement, has demanded an apology from the Nigeria Democratic Congress over the party’s rejection of its 59-member Presidential Campaign Council.
The movement also maintained that its support for the NDC’s presidential ticket did not make it an organ of the party, saying it retained its own leadership and organisational structure.
The National Secretary of the movement, Saadatu Sani, stated this in Abuja on Sunday, September 20, 2026, while reacting to comments by the NDC National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas.
The dispute followed the unveiling of the council on Thursday, September 17, to mobilise support for NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, ahead of the 2027 elections.
The 59-member structure includes zonal and state coordinators and directors overseeing mobilisation, strategy, women’s affairs, security and legal matters. John Ughulu was named Director-General, while Sani was listed as National Secretary.
But the NDC disowned the council in a statement by Cleopas on Saturday, September 19, saying it was not authorised by the party and should be disregarded.
Cleopas said only the party leadership could constitute and announce its campaign structure, warning individuals, candidates and support groups against creating structures in the NDC’s name without approval from the National Working Committee.
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He also raised concerns over Ughulu’s conduct during the Lagos State primary and said the matter would be referred to the appropriate disciplinary organ.
Reacting, Sani urged Cleopas to acquaint himself with the NDC constitution and demanded the withdrawal of statements the movement considered defamatory, as well as an apology to the group and Ughulu.
She said the OK Movement recognized the authority of political parties within their constitutional and statutory spheres but could organize independently while supporting NDC candidates.
Sani said the movement would campaign for Obi and Kwankwaso and support other NDC candidates where its leadership resolved to do so.
She further claimed that the group had built a nationwide grassroots network with an internal database of about 2.5 million members and coordinators, describing the organization as a long-term political movement rather than a platform created solely for the 2027 elections.
The movement also rejected allegations concerning Ughulu’s role in the Lagos primary.
The disagreement comes against the backdrop of the 2023 election, when several independent support groups rallied behind Obi outside the formal structure of the Labour Party under the Big Tent platform.
The latest dispute centres on the authority to establish campaign structures in the NDC’s name, with the party insisting on formal approval and the OK Movement maintaining its organizational independence.