The Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, popularly known as the OK Movement, has demanded an immediate apology from the Nigeria Democratic Congress over comments by the party’s National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, regarding its recently unveiled 59-member Presidential Campaign Council.
The movement also rejected what it described as attempts at intimidation, insisting that it remained an independent political organisation with its own leadership, structure and internal processes.
The National Secretary of the movement, Saadatu Sani, made the position known in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday.
The development followed the NDC’s decision to dissociate itself from the campaign council unveiled by the movement on Thursday to mobilise support for the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Cleopas had said the campaign council did not emanate from the NDC and should be disregarded. He also maintained that no individual, candidate or support group was authorised to constitute or announce a campaign structure in the party’s name without prior approval from its National Working Committee.
Reacting, Sani described the NDC chairman’s position as unfortunate and said it reflected a misunderstanding of the character and independence of the OK Movement.
She urged Cleopas to familiarise himself with the provisions of the NDC constitution before making assertions about the movement’s rights and responsibilities.
Sani said the movement would not be drawn into personal attacks, intimidation or defamatory exchanges, insisting that it would continue to defend the principles on which it was established.
She called on Cleopas to withdraw what the movement considered defamatory statements and apologise to the organisation and its Director-General, Hon. John Ughulu.
The OK Movement said it recognised the constitutional and statutory authority of political parties within their spheres, adding that it would campaign for Obi and Kwankwaso as well as NDC candidates it resolved to support across the country.
However, it maintained that supporting the party’s candidates did not make the movement a subordinate structure of the NDC.
According to Sani, the movement had developed a nationwide grassroots structure with an internal database representing approximately 2.5 million registered members and coordinators.
She stressed that the OK Movement was not a temporary support group created solely for the 2027 elections, but an organisation with a long-term political vision.
The movement also rejected allegations concerning Ughulu’s involvement in the Lagos State primary, saying it welcomed the opportunity to state its position on the matter.
Sani reiterated that the organisation would continue to defend its members when their integrity was questioned while avoiding personal insults and defamatory exchanges.