Power tussle rocks Obi, Kwankwaso campaign teams

A significant leadership tussle has erupted within the OK Movement, a political support platform established to mobilize backing for a potential joint presidential ticket of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso. The internal conflict has led to accusations and counter-accusations, with competing claims over the group's leadership.

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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.

The crisis intensified following the movement's announcement of former Inter-Party Advisory Council Chairman, Peter Ameh, as its National Director-General. The announcement was made in a statement signed by Jackie Wayas, who identified herself as the National Convener. Wayas, also the former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, stated that Ameh's appointment was unanimously approved due to his political experience and commitment to the movement's ideals.

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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.

However, the announcement quickly generated controversy as several members questioned Wayas' authority to claim the position of national convener. Repeated attempts by The PUNCH to get clarification from Wayas on how and when she assumed the role were unsuccessful, as calls and messages went unanswered. This dispute exposed a broader leadership disagreement within the movement.

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My principle on it is that we should not be discussing this thing in the public domain. People will always speculate and talk. As I said, these are issues that we need to go behind the scenes and resolve.

Justin Ijeh, the immediate past National Publicity Secretary of the movement, acknowledged the existence of disagreements but insisted they should be resolved internally rather than through public channels. He emphasized that the primary objective is to achieve electoral success and that internal disputes should not be aired publicly, as this can lead to speculation and undermine the movement's broader goals. Ijeh believes that such issues are inevitable in political organizations and stressed the importance of resolving them behind the scenes to prevent detrimental effects on the mission to win elections.

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The fact that this matter has come out makes it look larger than what it is because people are now talking about it. 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 not so much about secrecy. It’s about not allowing it to be detrimental to the larger cause. For me, the mission is to win elections.