Jane Salihu
The OK Movement has defended its organisational independence, saying its support for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and its candidates does not subject the movement to the personal approval of any individual within the party.
The National Secretary of the movement, Saadatu Sani, stated this in an official statement issued in response to a recent publication attributed to the NDC National Chairman, Senator Cleopas Moses.
Sani said the OK Movement regarded the tone and substance of the publication as a reflection of what she described as a misunderstanding of the movement’s character, structure and constitutional foundation.
She urged the NDC National Chairman to revisit his party’s constitution before making assertions concerning the rights, responsibilities and independence of the movement.
According to her, the OK Movement recognises the constitutional and statutory role of political parties and would continue to support the NDC’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates, as well as other party candidates in areas where the movement has resolved to back them.
She, however, stressed that such support did not mean the movement required personal validation or approval from any individual before carrying out its organisational activities.
“The OK Movement is an independent political movement with its own leadership, organisational structure, ideology and internal processes,” Sani said.
She also disclosed that the movement had developed a nationwide grassroots structure which, according to its internal membership records, has a database representing approximately 2.5 million registered members and coordinators with supporting data.
Sani said the movement was not established as a temporary support group for an election cycle, but as an organisation with a long-term vision and an ideology centred on better governance, economic opportunity, accountability and citizen-focused development.
She further addressed allegations concerning her involvement in the Lagos State primaries, saying the movement was prepared to put the matter on record.
The National Secretary said the OK Movement would not engage in what she described as politics of personal insults, intimidation or defamatory exchanges, insisting that the organisation would continue to defend its members when their integrity was questioned.
She called on Senator Moses to withdraw the statements considered defamatory and apologise to the OK Movement and its National Director General, Hon. John Ozyl Ughulu.
Sani said the movement would continue to educate rather than abuse and present facts rather than what she described as manufactured narratives.
She stressed that the movement would maintain its independence and principles while continuing to support the NDC where it had resolved to do so, declaring: “Nigeria will be OK.”
