Yunusa Tanko, the spokesperson of Peter Obi, on Monday criticised the African Democratic Congress for labelling the presidential aspirant’s supporters “a divisive” mob.
“Calling Obidients divisive is what politicians do when they fear accountability,” said Mr Tanko, also the national coordinator of the Obidient Movement, a political mobilisation group for Mr Obi.
Mr Tanko’s statement comes after remarks by ADC’s national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, who, on Saturday, warned during a live audio conversation on X that Obidients could ruin Mr Obi’s chances of winning the 2027 presidential election.
“Those shouting ‘Peter Obi or nothing’ are not helping him; they preach division, limit outreach, and harden positions needed for victory across regions and supporters,” Mr Abdullahi stated.
Faulting Mr Abdullahi’s comments, Mr Tanko stated, “The attempt to label the Obidient movement as ‘divisive’ fundamentally misrepresents both its origins and its purpose.”
Mr Obi’s spokesperson further stated, “A coalition that fears questioning voices is not one prepared to govern a complex society like Nigeria.”
“The participation of Obidients in the ADC coalition follows this same logic. Coalitions are meant to aggregate ideas, encourage debate, and build broader alternatives. Joining a coalition does not require silence or blind loyalty. On the contrary, it demands active engagement, accountability, and scrutiny.”
Mr Tanko stressed that Obidients did not emerge out of extremism or intolerance. He said the movement arose from years of poor governance, worsening poverty, institutional decay, and a political system that consistently shut out ordinary Nigerians.
He said that Mr Abdullahi’s claims that Obidients will limit Mr Obi’s chances in 2027 “ignore political reality.”
“Elections are not won or lost because supporters speak loudly online. They are determined by organisation, alliances, credibility, and leadership. Blaming engaged citizens for political failure is an easy distraction from the harder work of governance.”
Mr Tanko added, “Obidients are not the problem. Within the ADC coalition and beyond, the movement represents an opportunity to build a more accountable and participatory politics. Any coalition or party serious about governing Nigeria must learn to engage such citizens, not fear them.”
Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra and the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, joined the ADC coalition on the last day of 2025.
In 2023, Mr Obi polled 6,101,533 votes (25.40 per cent) to emerge third, while Atiku Abubakar, the former candidate of PDP, polled 6,984,520 votes (29.07 per cent) to emerge second behind Mr Tinubu, who garnered 8,794,726 votes (36.61 per cent) to win the keenly contested election.
(NAN)
