The Obi-Kwankwaso Movement says it will support NDC candidates while retaining its independent leadership, structure and organisational processes.
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| The OK Movement and NDC have disagreed over the structure of the 2027 presidential campaign organisation |
The Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, popularly known as the OK Movement, has vowed to maintain its organisational independence after a disagreement with the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, over the structure of its 2027 presidential campaign organisation.
The dispute followed the unveiling of a 59-member Presidential Campaign Council by the OK Movement to mobilise support for NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso. The NDC subsequently dissociated itself from the council, saying support groups could not constitute or announce campaign structures in the party’s name without approval from its National Working Committee.
In response, the OK Movement said it remained an independent political organisation with its own leadership, structure and internal processes. Its National Secretary, Saadatu Sani, said the movement would not surrender its independence or allow disagreements with the party to alter its organisational identity.
The movement maintained that its support for the NDC presidential ticket did not make it a subordinate structure of the party. Sani said the group would campaign for Obi and Kwankwaso, as well as other NDC candidates in areas where the movement decides to support them.
According to the OK Movement, its nationwide organisation includes coordinators and members across the country. Sani said the movement has an internal database representing approximately 2.5 million registered members and coordinators, while describing the organisation as one with a long-term political vision rather than a temporary support group created solely for the 2027 election.
The disagreement has centred on the relationship between the formal party structure and independent groups supporting the NDC ticket. While the NDC has asserted its authority over official party campaign structures, the OK Movement has maintained that its own organisational activities are separate from the party's formal structures.
The development came shortly before the NDC announced that Obi and Kwankwaso would have authority to nominate several key officials for the party's Presidential Campaign Council, including the Director-General, deputy director-general for the North, spokesperson and head of new media, in consultation with the party leadership.
The dispute therefore remains focused on how the independent OK Movement and the formal NDC campaign structure will operate alongside each other ahead of the 2027 presidential election. The two sides have publicly stated their support for the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket, but differ over the organisational authority and independence of the movement.