The Obidient Movement has dismissed speculation ahead of 2027, declaring that its support for Peter Obi is strictly presidential and nothing else.
Rising in strong defence of its leader, the movement said it was not mobilised to back Obi as a vice-presidential candidate to anyone, dismissing reports suggesting a possible VP deal as “deliberate misrepresentations and malicious propaganda.”
The clarification followed comments by the group’s National Coordinator, Dr Tanko Yunusa, who had said on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief that the movement would remain in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and respect the outcome of its presidential primary.
“As democrats, we will go in there and contest equitably well with every contestant based on democratic tenets. We believe that at the end of it all, Mr Peter Obi will come out on top with the large teaming population that he is bringing into the ADC,” Yunusa said.
Those remarks sparked widespread rumours that Obi’s entry into the ADC was tied to a plan to deputise former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The Obidient Movement has now rejected that claim outright.
In a statement titled “The Peter Obi Presidency: A Joint Project of All Nigerians,” the group insisted its mission had not changed.
“Our attention has been drawn to deliberate misrepresentations and malicious propaganda arising from a recent interview granted by Dr Tanko Yunusa,” the statement said.
Reaffirming its identity as “an organic, nationwide, and values-driven democratic movement committed to good governance, accountability, and the rule of law,” the group said its focus remains singular.
“The ideals, energy, and collective resolve of the Obidient Movement are unequivocally committed to the presidential aspiration of Mr Peter Obi.”
The movement made its position unmistakably clear.
“Let it be stated clearly and without ambiguity: The Obidient Movement is not mobilised to support Mr Peter Obi as a vice-presidential candidate to anyone. Our support is exclusively for his emergence as President of Nigeria,” it said.
While confirming it is currently operating within the ADC, the group stressed that its loyalty is not to any party platform but to Obi’s vision for Nigeria.
“Wherever Mr Peter Obi, acting within the law and guided by conscience, chooses to pursue his presidential mandate, the Obidient Movement will move with him,” the statement added.
The declaration comes amid rising political tension, days after Professor Pat Utomi warned he would withdraw support if Obi accepted a vice-presidential slot, further fueling the stakes ahead of 2027.
