The Nigeria Democratic Congress has declared its support for the Obidient and Kwankwasiya movements, saying it is proud to have both groups within its political structure despite the disagreement that has recently emerged between the party and the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement.
The National Secretary of the NDC, Osa Director, made the position known in a statement posted on X on Sunday.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the development comes amid the ongoing controversy over the relationship between the party and the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, popularly known as the OK Movement.
The NDC secretary described the Obidient and Kwankwasiya movements as two of the most resilient political movements in Nigeria, saying their consistency in defending their political beliefs made them valuable to any political organisation.
“NDC LOVES OBIDIENT AND KWANKWASIYA MOVEMENTS,” the statement was titled.
The party official said, “In Nigeria’s recent political history, the Obidient and Kwankwasiya movements have proven to be the most resilient, consistent, and trustworthy in the defence of their beliefs. Therefore, any political party or individual would be proud to have them on its side.”
According to the statement, the presence of the two movements within the NDC was a source of political pride for the party, which it described as one of the fastest-growing political parties in the country.
“Hence, it is a thing of political pride to have these two most organic movements in the NDC, the fastest-growing political party in Nigeria today,” the secretary said.
The declaration came shortly after the OK Movement demanded an apology from the NDC over comments made by the party’s National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, regarding a 59-member Presidential Campaign Council unveiled by the movement.
The movement’s National Secretary, Saadatu Sani, had said the organisation would not be drawn into personal attacks or intimidation and called on Cleopas to withdraw what it considered defamatory comments and apologise to the movement and its Director-General, John Ughulu.
Sani also said the movement had a nationwide grassroots structure and an internal database of about 2.5 million registered members and coordinators.
Cleopas had said the campaign council did not originate from the NDC and should be disregarded, stressing that no individual, presidential candidate or support group was authorised to establish or announce a campaign structure in the name of the party without the approval of its National Working Committee.
The OK Movement subsequently rejected what it described as an attempt to intimidate the organisation and insisted that it remained an independent political movement with its own leadership, structure and internal processes.
Reacting to the controversy, the NDC National Secretary said claims that the party did not support the OK Movement were false.
“They are the worst nightmare of the ruling APC, and the APC knows it, even though it has refused to admit it,” the statement said.
“That is why they are spinning all kinds of narratives, including the lie that the NDC as a party does not like the OK Movement. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
The party also maintained that it remained united with the OK Movement around the objective of supporting its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
“The NDC and the OK Movement are united and committed to the objective of ensuring victory for our presidential candidate and his running mate, Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso,” the secretary said.
The statement further described Obi and Kwankwaso as representatives of what it called a “New Nigeria,” adding that supporters should remain focused on the 2027 political objective.
“Both men represent the New Nigeria that we deserve and desire,” it said.