A leadership crisis has erupted within the OK Movement, a political organisation established to mobilise support for the joint presidential ticket of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso ahead of the 2027 general election.
NEWSNGR reports that the dispute has produced rival claims to the leadership of the movement, accusations of attempted hijacking and disagreements over the appointment of its national officers.
The crisis became public after a statement signed by Jackie Wayas announced the appointment of a former Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Peter Ameh, as the movement’s National Director-General.
Wayas, who described herself as the National Convener of the group, said Ameh’s appointment was unanimously approved during a meeting of the movement’s steering committee.
She said the former IPAC chairman was selected because of his political experience and commitment to the organisation’s objectives.
However, the announcement immediately drew objections from some members, who questioned Wayas’ authority to present herself as the movement’s national convener.
The disagreement subsequently exposed a broader struggle over the control and direction of the political group.
Ex-Spokesman Seeks Internal Resolution
The immediate past National Publicity Secretary of the movement, Justin Ijeh, confirmed to Punch that disagreements existed within the organisation but warned against allowing the dispute to play out publicly.
Speaking on the issue, Ijeh said the movement’s priority should remain the success of the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket at the polls.
“There’s a reason I have not spoken up on this issue. I believe some things should be resolved behind the scenes. The primary target for me is that we must achieve our aim at the polls. I spoke to all the parties concerned about my concerns,” he said.
According to him, disagreements were normal in political organisations, but exposing them to the public could damage the larger cause.
“It’s okay to fight. If you’re not fighting, you’re probably lying to yourselves. It’s not the worst thing that there are differences, but to let them come out into the public space is a big no-no for me.
“My principle on it is that we should not be discussing this thing in the public domain. People will always speculate and talk,” he added.
Ijeh warned that the movement could not afford an internal battle while confronting external political opponents.
“We cannot be fighting a civil war when we have external aggression to deal with.
“The fact that this matter has come out makes it look larger than what it is because people are now talking about it,” he stated.
He described the disagreement as a dispute over the management of the organisation rather than a fundamental conflict over its political objective.
“The truth is that it’s an internal dispute over how things are being done. People have different opinions, and then it goes into the mix.
“It’s about not allowing it to be detrimental to the larger cause. For me, the mission is to win elections,” he said.
Ijeh Steps Aside Amid Rival Claims
Ijeh disclosed that he had stopped acting as the movement’s spokesman pending the resolution of the competing claims to the office of Director-General.
“I have told all parties that I cannot be the spokesperson anymore until they resolve issues. Tell me, when two persons declare themselves DG of an organisation, what do you do?” he asked.
He also acknowledged Wayas as a member of the movement.
“I cannot even deny the fact that I know the Jackie Wayas you are talking about. She is also one of us,” he added.
Ughulu Dismisses Rival Faction
The Director-General of the movement, John Ughulu, however, dismissed Ijeh’s claims, saying the former spokesman had been removed from office.
Ughulu accused members of the rival camp of attempting to take control of the organisation and alter its original purpose.
He said, “No, Justin has been sacked long ago. He belongs to the other group. I had relieved all of them of their responsibility for us to move forward.
“Their ideology is different from what I brought on board. Look, I want everybody to focus beyond the 2027 election, if by God’s grace, Peter Obi wins.”
Ughulu said the movement was conceived as a long-term coalition that would unite the supporters of Obi and Kwankwaso without requiring them to abandon their existing political identities.
He claimed there was an understanding that the organisation would continue to exist beyond the 2027 election.
“There was an initial agreement between the two candidates, Obi and Kwankwaso, that this OK Movement would not be relinquished. It would still have to campaign for him in 2031 if he decides to come out for the presidential position. I was a signatory to that,” he said.
Ughulu also claimed that Obi had asked him not to discuss the crisis publicly.
“So when this latest internal conflict came up, Obi pleaded with me. He said, ‘John, please, I beg you. Do not go to press. Do not say anything,’” he added.
Ughulu Alleges Attempted Takeover
The movement’s DG alleged that the rival group wanted to hijack the organisation.
He also defended his insistence that the leadership of the OK Movement should remain separate from that of the Obidient Movement, arguing that overlapping structures could create conflicts of interest.
“The mistake I made was that when they were appointing leaders for me, I was in America, trying to establish the OK Movement in London. Then Justin was brought in as our publicity secretary. I knew he worked for the Obidient Movement.
“Obi himself had given the warning not to mix the two,” he alleged.
Ughulu maintained that the OK Movement was created to attract supporters who believed in Obi’s candidacy but did not identify as members of the Obidient Movement.
“There are people who so much love and want to support Peter Obi who are not Obidient members. If we decide to stick only to that, other associations and political parties will not want to associate with you.
“So, that was how we settled for the name, OK Movement,” he explained.
He said the idea emerged from consultations involving political figures, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the late Director-General of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Akin Osuntokun.
Ughulu said Ijeh was removed because he allegedly allowed his affiliation with the Obidient Movement to influence his duties.
“In the case of Justin, I had to sack him because of his partisanship. He was going beyond his responsibility as a publicist for the OK Movement and also aiding the narrative that I am against members of the Obidient Movement,” he said.
He also narrated his disagreement with Wayas, claiming she previously worked under his leadership before their relationship deteriorated over funding arrangements.
“The same Jackie they are parading now used to work for me. At a point, she was in the ADC as the National Deputy Publicity Secretary,” Ughulu said.
He alleged that disagreements arose after he rejected certain sources of funding and proposed that the movement should rely on small contributions from ordinary Nigerians.
“People were bringing in illegal money. And I said, no, it’s not going to happen because you don’t know where the money is coming from.
“So I suggested we raise the funds from the streets by encouraging Nigerians to contribute N1,000 or N500 to take care of posters, T-shirts and logistics,” he added.
According to him, the parties also disagreed over whether coordinators should receive payment.
“Again, we agreed that we are not going to pay any of my coordinators. I made that clear right from the outset because I know that every coordinator I appointed has capacity. They are well-to-do on their own. But Jackie flared up and said no,” he claimed.
Tanko Denies Financial Allegation
Meanwhile, the controversy deepened following social media reports claiming that Obi had removed the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Yunusa Tanko, over alleged financial misconduct.
Tanko denied the reports, describing them as false and an attempt to create confusion.
“No, it is not true. It is somebody out there just flying a kite. In fact, we are having a programme in the office tomorrow. I am using the opportunity to invite you to attend,” he said.
He also rejected allegations linking him to financial irregularities in the movement.
“Look, I don’t have a separate account. I’m not even a signatory to the account of the Obidient Movement. So, why should I even have a money-related matter?” he asked.
Tanko also dismissed claims of a conflict between the Obidient Movement and the OK Movement.
“There is really no tension between us. We are just trying to work together. That’s all.
“We are just trying to make sure that we work together as a team,” he stated.
Shortly after Tanko’s response, Obi’s media office also denied the reports in a statement signed by his aide, Idris Zekeri.
The office accused unnamed political opponents and disruptive elements of trying to create divisions within Obi’s support base.
The statement read, “The Peter Obi Media Office acknowledges recent, coordinated efforts by political adversaries and disruptive individuals to create division, misrepresent our leader’s objectives, and foster artificial rifts within our movement dedicated to improving Nigeria.
“They dubiously try to ascribe their imagined words to our principal, aiming to create division in his fold. We feel it is imperative to directly and unequivocally address these manoeuvres.”
The media office maintained that the movement was focused on national development rather than personal or sectional interests.
“Let us be clear: our endeavour is, and always has been, driven by a commitment to national progress, not personal ambition, ethnic appeals, or petty partisan squabbles,” it added.
It urged supporters of the Obidient and Kwankwasiyya movements to disregard the alleged dismissal of Tanko and other reports said to be aimed at causing division.
“We implore our devoted supporters, including the Obidients and Kwankwasiyya movements, and all Nigerians of good conscience, to disregard rumours, fabricated stories and deliberate provocations, including the purported sack of the Obidient Movement National Coordinator, Dr Yunusa Tanko,” the statement said.
Dispute A Distraction — Johnson
A former spokesman for the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Ladipo Johnson, also acknowledged the disagreements within the OK Movement but said they would not derail preparations for the election.
Speaking on Arise Television, Johnson described the leadership dispute as a distraction rather than a threat to the survival of the movement.
“Yes, we have, may I call it a distraction at the moment? It is not such, in my own humble opinion, that would lead you to take unilateral actions that could scuttle or bring bad blood within the support base of the person you purportedly want to become the president of the country,” he said.
Johnson urged the parties to prioritise the movement’s broader political objective and avoid allowing personal disagreements to weaken the coalition.
He added that Obi had been informed of the crisis and was unhappy with the developments.
“I saw the presidential candidate last night, Thursday, along with the DG. He’s not happy about the whole situation,” Johnson stated.
