By Ogbeni Olawale Dawodu (Abuja),
A group of former members of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Council has unveiled a national coordination platform, Batified Obidients, to support the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
In a public notice signed by its National Coordinator, Adesina Fagbenro-Byron, Esq., the group said its members served in Obi’s 2023 campaign “with commitment, professionalism, and a genuine belief in a new direction for Nigeria.” After months of reflection, however, they concluded that Obi lacks the qualities the country needs at this time.
The group said its position was not driven by personal animosity but by concerns over governance, competence, and national capacity. It alleged that, having worked closely with Obi, its members observed weak diversity management, insufficient appreciation of talent, and limited capacity in internal conflict resolution. It claimed many professionals who gave their time and expertise during and after the campaign were neither valued, rewarded, nor effectively deployed.
According to the group, Tinubu is significantly ahead of Obi on executive experience, coalition-building, legislative capacity, crisis management, reform orientation, and national spread. It also said the Labour Party is neither structurally nor ideologically prepared to lead Nigeria.
The group said it deliberately avoided the name “Obidient Movement,” describing it as a proprietary political identity tied to Obi and the Labour Party. It stressed that it does not speak for all Obidients and does not claim to represent the movement.
Mission: Double Tinubu’s 2023 Votes
The group said its core purpose is to work for Tinubu’s re-election and ensure a successful second term. Drawing on its experience in the Obi campaign, it said it will help double the more than 8 million votes recorded for Tinubu in 2023 and secure the required national spread, especially in key states where Obi won in 2023.
It added that it will mobilise former Obi supporters, undecided voters, and progressive Nigerians around the Renewed Hope agenda, while defending and explaining the President’s reforms to build public confidence.
Structure
Batified Obidients will be led by a National Coordinator and a Secretariat comprising a Secretary, Financial Secretary, Publicity Secretary, and Operations Secretary. It will also have Regional Coordinators for the six geopolitical zones and State Point Men in each state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The named Regional Coordinators are:
- North West: Bala Abubakar
- North East: Hon. Ekana Simeon Lamorde
- North Central: Eng. Daniel Gambo
- South West: Comrade Banwo Mayowa
- South South: Izunna Desmond
- South East: Odira Alexander
The group insisted that its support for the President “is not blind,” but based on a clear-eyed assessment of leadership capacity and national need. Its rallying line: “One Batified Family. One Structure. One Mission.”
