OK Movement Draws Battle Line With NDC Over Support Group Registration

The OK Movement has rejected the registration of support groups proposed by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

Naija News reports that the NDC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said the registration was free and warned state chapters against collecting fees from groups seeking registration.

Speaking to Punch, the Director-General of the OK Movement, John Ughulu, rejected the registration exercise, insisting that the movement remained an independent political organisation and would not surrender its structure to the NDC.

Ughulu said the movement’s existence and internal affairs do not require approval from the NDC leadership, adding that it would resist any attempt to undermine, appropriate, or dissolve its structure.

Continuing, he argued that neither the Nigerian nor the NDC constitution, as presented to the movement, gave the party exclusive authority over the internal structure of an independent political organisation.

“The OK Movement therefore makes it clear that we will not accept any attempt by any individual or group to undermine, appropriate, dissolve or otherwise interfere with the legitimate structure and leadership of the movement.

“The meaning of ‘independent’ is straightforward. The NDC has the right to constitute and manage its own campaign structures. Likewise, an independent political organisation has the right to constitute and manage its own organisational structures, subject always to the law.

“We will resist every form of intimidation, coercion or attempt to undermine its legitimate organisational structure,” he warned.

The spokesman for the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Habibu Muhammed, also called for understanding between the party and the support groups.

Muhammed said the disagreements were partly a result of the NDC’s attempt to establish new structures as an emerging political party.

He said, “The truth is that the NDC is evolving and they are trying to do things differently. That is why there are some forms of misunderstanding here and there. But I believe that at the end of the day, everybody will be on the same page.

The ultimate goal is to ensure that the party and the candidate win. Historically, the Kwankwasiyya has always remained independent, even of political parties. So, I don’t think it will be different now.

“I also believe in the Obidient Movement, just as I know that the OK Movement is also another movement; it runs on its own principles. So, Obidients and Kwankwasiyya still exist on their own.

“Again, I believe every Nigerian, as enshrined in the constitution, has a right to associate and be part of any organisation. The most important thing is for the party to understand this as well and work out something that will be better than just fixing things that are not literally important, as it is doing now.”

Mohammed highlighted that the ultimate objective of the various groups was to support the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket and that the party should create an acceptable atmosphere for support groups to operate without unnecessary restrictions.

“What we need is to create an acceptable atmosphere for all the support groups so that whoever wants to support the party in whichever way they deem can do that.

“More so, we have several associations which are putting in money and not asking for anything in return. They have seen some qualities in the candidates and are therefore working for their success.

“You should also take into consideration that a large chunk of members from these groups and movements are from other parties who agree to work together for the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.

“If you got into Kano now, the people there are not interested in identifying with any political platform. They will ask you which one is for Kwankwaso.

“That is the complexity of this issue. There are several individual candidates, even outside the NDC, who have large support groups.

“Some are not even members of his party. Maybe as time goes on, there will be a middle ground for the party and the movements because I personally think this has more to do with the OK Movement than us,” he stated.