Yunusa Tanko, the chief spokesman of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation, emphasized that the Obidient Movement extends beyond the Labour Party and its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi. In an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday, Tanko asserted that the movement operates independently and should not be confined to any political party.
Tanko explained that the supporters of the Obidient Movement, known as Obidients, are primarily focused on promoting good governance. He noted that these supporters are committed to holding both the Labour Party and Peter Obi accountable if their actions diverge from the movement’s core values.
“It’s bigger than the Labour Party. It is so because it is a move of its own that has a life of its own. What they are interested in is good governance,” Tanko stated. “Even if the Labour Party is doing something wrong, they can challenge it. Let me go further. Even His Excellency [Peter Obi], if he does something that is not aligned with good governance, we would challenge it. They are loyal to the messages that connect to good governance and Peter Obi is championing that particular good governance.”
This statement follows a recent controversy over the Labour Party’s decision to name a party directorate as the Directorate of Obidient Affairs. The announcement was met with widespread criticism, leading Peter Obi to distance the Obidient Movement from any political party. Obi, in a statement on his X page on Wednesday, reiterated that the movement transcends party, gender, and ethnic lines, describing it as a diverse and inclusive collective.
“There may be a youth mobilization directorate in political parties, but the Obidient Movement is far beyond a particular political party. The Obidient Movement is a diverse and inclusive collective that transcends traditional political, religious, and ethnic affiliations. It is not domiciled within any particular party or headquartered in any particular part of the country,” Obi wrote.
In response to the backlash, the Labour Party’s spokesman, Obiorah Ifoh, announced on Thursday that the controversial directorate would be renamed as the Directorate of Mobilisation and Integration.
“Following the controversies arising from the creation of the Directorate of OBIDIENT Affairs, in the party, the Directorate is hereby renamed the Directorate of Mobilisation and Integration. The inauguration will take place on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at the party’s National Secretariat, Utako, Abuja, by 10 a.m. Party members and the general public should take note,” the statement read.
