Obidient Movement Splinters as Faction Expels Peter Obi, Dumps Labour Party Ahead of 2027
Abuja – A major crack has emerged within the Obidient Movement following the announcement by a faction of the group that it has disbanded the post-2023 leadership structure of the organisation, expelled former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and commenced a rebranding process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group, which now identifies itself as the “#obedient Movement,” also announced the expulsion of Obi’s close ally, Yunusa Tanko, alongside all persons appointed under what it described as an “unauthorised leadership structure” that emerged after the 2023 elections.
The development was announced during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday by the International Coordinator of the newly rebranded movement, Dr Barry Avotu Johnson, who accused some members of hijacking the original ideals of the movement for “personal advantage and private gains.”
According to Johnson, the decision to restructure and rename the organisation became necessary because the founding vision of the Obidient Movement had allegedly been compromised after the 2023 presidential election.
He stated that the movement would no longer maintain ties with the Labour Party and clarified that it had not endorsed any presidential aspirant for the 2027 elections.
“The original vision and founding ideals of the #OBIdients Movement were no longer adequately represented by those who assumed control of its structure after the 2023 elections,” Johnson declared.
He further alleged that the movement had suffered from what he termed “political prostitution,” insisting that the rebranding was aimed at restoring the group’s ideological identity and independence.
The announcement is expected to trigger fresh controversy within the support base of Obi, whose 2023 presidential campaign inspired a strong youth-driven political movement across the country.
Efforts to obtain reactions from Obi and Tanko were unsuccessful as calls, text messages and WhatsApp messages sent to them were not replied to as of press time.
The latest development adds another layer of uncertainty to the opposition political landscape as permutations for the 2027 elections begin to gather momentum.
