The Obidient Movement has dismissed allegations that Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, was misled into joining the emerging opposition coalition centred around the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Reacting to reports that Obi was tricked with promises of a presidential ticket, National Coordinator of the movement, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, described the claims as “completely false” and a “deliberate attempt to sow discord.”
According to Tanko, there was no deception involved in Obi’s involvement with the coalition. He reaffirmed that Obi’s political philosophy remains rooted in collective efforts towards national development.
“They are trying to create distractions and disharmony. We are focused and will meet our position. If Peter Obi is going to make any statement as regards the coalition, you will get it from him directly, from me, or from any of his aides,” he said.
“There is no iota of truth about him being tricked or not. Those are people who are trying to create a lot of distractions as the case may be,” Tanko added.
He emphasised that Obi has consistently advocated for unity and shared responsibility in addressing the nation’s challenges.
“Peter Obi has always maintained that the issue of rescuing Nigeria is not in the hands of one person; it has to be collective, especially when it means pulling people out of poverty, addressing health situations, education, and the economic well-being of the Nigerian people.
“These are the things he has always been saying that he is interested in, and that is his position all the time,” he said.
The clarification follows remarks by Katchy Ononuju, a former Special Adviser to Obi on Public Affairs during the 2023 elections. Ononuju, in a recent media interview, claimed that Obi was “deceived” into joining the new opposition alliance and may have been sidelined in favour of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is allegedly eyeing the 2027 presidential ticket.
The comments come amid growing pressure from supporters of Obi, who insist that he be adopted as the consensus candidate of the party ahead of 2027. Obi’s backers argue that his performance in the 2023 presidential election—where he placed third and dominated youth and urban votes—makes him the natural choice for 2027.
