Abuja – The Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, popularly known as the OK Movement, has firmly rejected criticisms by Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) National Leader Senator Seriake Dickson, who described the group’s decision to establish a presidential campaign council as “nonsensical” and “unheard of.”
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the movement’s Director-General, John Ughulu, insisted that the OK Movement is an independent political organisation and not a conventional support group or appendage of any political party.
He vowed that the group would not surrender its national, state, local government or ward structures to the NDC or any other body ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The exchange stems from the OK Movement’s announcement on September 17 of a 59-member Presidential Campaign Council to mobilise support for NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. The NDC later distanced itself from the council, stating it had not authorised the structure.
Speaking on Tuesday while receiving former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal into the NDC, Dickson criticised the move. He argued that support groups exist to provide grassroots mobilisation and promote candidates, not to compete with the sponsoring political party or create parallel campaign machinery.
“What the OK Movement is doing is nonsensical. It is unheard of. Support groups don’t compete with the political party that is sponsoring candidates. Support groups don’t compete for supremacy, for space. Support groups are what they are: support groups,” Dickson said. He added that such groups “don’t play the role of a political party,” “don’t sponsor candidates,” and should not attack or criticise the party sponsoring their candidates. He urged those responsible to call the group to order.
Responding, Ughulu rejected the characterisation of the OK Movement as a mere support group. He noted that while he agreed the Obidient Movement functions as a support platform, the same description does not apply to 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 organised, managed and structured through its own established movement mechanisms,” Ughulu stated. He explained that the movement draws members from different political parties who share a common commitment to the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.
Ughulu further dismissed Dickson’s description of the campaign council as nonsensical, arguing that politics has evolved beyond traditional party structures. “So it is not nonsensical as claimed by Seriake Dickson; rather, the national leader of the NDC Party should come to realise that politics has long evolved from the conventional political system he is used to,” he said.
The Director-General emphasised that cooperation and political alignment with the NDC do not erase the movement’s independent identity. “Our organisational 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 declared.
The group also maintained it was not aware of any provision in the NDC constitution that prohibits an independent political organisation from setting up its own campaign or mobilisation structures in support of the party’s candidates.
The disagreement highlights emerging tensions within the opposition coalition as the NDC positions itself for the 2027 elections. While the OK Movement reaffirmed its commitment to mobilising support for Obi and Kwankwaso, it made clear that it intends to retain full control of its organisational machinery.
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