The Obi-Kwankwaso Movement has rejected attempts to classify it simply as a support group under the Nigeria Democratic Congress, insisting that it remains an independent political organization with its own structures.
National Director-General John Ozyl Ughulu stated the position after NDC national leader Seriake Dickson criticized the movement’s recent activities and warned support organizations against building structures that compete with the party.
Dickson made the comments while receiving former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal into the NDC.
He said support groups should focus on grassroots mobilization rather than compete for institutional authority with the political party sponsoring candidates.
The controversy followed the OK Movement’s decision to constitute a 59-member Presidential Campaign Council to mobilize for Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The NDC had earlier distanced itself from the council, saying the body did not emanate from the party.
Ughulu, however, said the movement would not accept an attempt to redefine its identity or subordinate its internal structures to the NDC.
He acknowledged that the Obedient Movement could properly be described as a support movement but argued that the status of the OK Movement should be considered separately.
The disagreement highlights an emerging organizational dispute between the NDC and one of the political movements campaigning for its presidential ticket ahead of 2027.
The source material does not indicate that the dispute has affected the legal status of the NDC ticket or the formal party structure.
