Fresh Crisis Rocks Obi’s Camp as OK Movement Accuses NDC, Obidients

A fresh disagreement has erupted among groups supporting Peter Obi’s 2027 presidential ambition after the United Kingdom Coordinator of the OK Movement, Adebayo Brown, accused the leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Presidential Campaign Council and the Obidient Movement of creating unnecessary divisions within the opposition camp.

Brown expressed concern over what he described as growing hostility between groups expected to work together towards Obi’s presidential ambition.

He accused some campaign officials of diverting their attention from grassroots mobilisation to disagreements with the OK Movement at a critical period ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The disagreement reportedly followed claims that Obi, who is the NDC presidential candidate, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, had distanced themselves from the OK Movement.

The development has exposed disagreements among some of the political organisations working to mobilise support for Obi and Kwankwaso.

It has also generated reactions from the NDC Presidential Campaign Council and the leadership of the Obidient Movement, with both sides dismissing the controversy as an unnecessary distraction.

In a statement, Brown called on the Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr Moses Paul, to concentrate on his responsibilities rather than engage in public exchanges with the OK Movement.

He maintained that the priority should be to strengthen existing political structures, expand grassroots participation and ensure proper coordination among supporters ahead of the elections.

Brown argued that the opposition needed unity and effective organisation to achieve its political objectives.

He warned that disagreements among groups supporting the same presidential candidate could weaken mobilisation efforts and create confusion among their members.

Expressing his displeasure over the situation, the UK coordinator said some individuals appointed to important campaign positions appeared to be giving more attention to internal disagreements than the responsibilities attached to their offices.

He said, “Two appointments have been given to individuals who now appear more interested in political disputes than in the responsibilities of their offices: one as Coordinator of the Obidient Movement and another as Director General of the NDC Campaign (Ibrahim Abdulkarim).

“Unfortunately, rather than concentrating on these critical responsibilities, their attention appears to be directed towards the National Director General of the OK Movement, John Ughulu.

“With only 76 days to the general elections, one would expect serious-minded leaders to be preoccupied with building structures, strengthening grassroots engagement, and preparing for the enormous responsibility of electoral mobilisation.

“Instead, Dr MO (Paul) continues to make claims that Peter Obi and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso have dissociated themselves from the OK Movement.”

Brown also questioned the authority of Paul to make statements regarding Obi and Kwankwaso’s relationship with the OK Movement.

He insisted that the position of the two politicians should be communicated through verifiable statements from them or their authorised representatives rather than claims made by individuals within supporting organisations.

According to him, holding a leadership position in the Obidient Movement does not automatically give Paul the authority to determine the political relationship between Obi, Kwankwaso and other support groups.

He said, “The coordinator of the Obidient Movement does not automatically speak for Peter Obi, nor can he unilaterally determine or represent his interests and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso. Such positions should be established through clear and verifiable communication, not personal assertions.”

Despite his criticism, Brown maintained that the OK Movement had no intention of turning the disagreement into a confrontation with other organisations supporting the NDC presidential candidate.

He said the different groups shared a common political objective and should avoid actions capable of weakening their collective efforts.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the OK Movement and the Obidient Movement are not enemies. Neither are we in conflict with the NDC. We have a common democratic challenge ahead, and the priority should be mobilising Nigerians, strengthening political structures, and working towards credible elections in 2027,” he said.

The UK coordinator also defended the National Director-General of the OK Movement, John Ughulu, against what he described as attempts to question his commitment and contributions to the organisation.

Brown said Ughulu had invested considerable time and resources in building the movement and should not be portrayed as someone pursuing personal interests through his activities.

He expressed confidence in Ughulu’s leadership and urged him not to allow the disagreement to affect the organisation’s activities.

He said, “We recognise and respect the tenacity, capacity, and integrity of Hon John Ughulu, National Director-General of the OK Movement, who has made significant sacrifices to build the movement into what it is today.

“His commitment should not be misrepresented as a pursuit of personal gain.”

Brown further encouraged the OK Movement’s national leadership to remain focused on expanding its structures and supporting efforts towards credible elections in 2027.

However, the NDC Presidential Campaign Council rejected the controversy, describing it as a distraction from its campaign activities.

The campaign council’s spokesperson, Dr Constance Ikokwu, said the organisation was concentrating on its immediate political responsibilities and had no interest in engaging in unnecessary public disagreements.

“We’re heavily focused on the campaign right now. We don’t need unnecessary distractions,” she told the newspaper.

The Obidient Movement also responded through Paul’s media aide, Chidi Iloamaeke, who clarified that the global coordinator was not a member of the OK Movement.

Iloamaeke explained that Paul’s responsibilities were centred on coordinating the Obidient Movement and mobilising support for Obi ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

He maintained that Paul was focused on strengthening the organisation and pursuing its stated political objective rather than becoming involved in disagreements with other support groups.

In his response, the media aide said, “Dr Mo is not a member of the OK Movement. His office as the global coordinator of the Obidient Movement allows him to concentrate on the activities of the Obidient Movement as well as delivering the people’s mandate of ensuring that Peter Obi becomes the president of Nigeria come 2027,” he said.

Iloamaeke also used the opportunity to call on eligible Nigerians to participate in the coming election and support Obi’s presidential ambition.

“He wants to use this opportunity to urge well-meaning Nigerians to ensure they come out in their numbers to vote for Mr Peter Obi,” he added.