A group claiming to be the original custodians of the Obidient Movement on Thursday announced the expulsion of Peter Obi, former Labour Party presidential candidate, his ally Yunusa Tanko and other members of the movement’s post-2023 leadership structure.
The group also declared the dissolution of the #Obidient Movement and announced its rebranding as the #OBEDIENT Movement as part of a broader restructuring ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja, the faction’s International Coordinator, Barry Avotu Johnson, said the decision was taken because the movement’s original ideals had allegedly been hijacked and diverted for personal and political interests after the 2023 elections.
According to him, the movement’s founders resolved to reclaim the organisation and return it to what he described as its original grassroots vision.
“This movement belongs to the people. It belongs to the youths, workers and ordinary Nigerians who believe the country must move forward,” Johnson said.
He announced the immediate disbandment of the former leadership structure associated with the movement and declared the beginning of a “new era of rebranding, restructuring and reconciliation.”
Johnson stated that the newly restructured movement had not adopted any presidential candidate for the 2027 elections and was no longer affiliated with the Labour Party.
He also announced the appointment of Nasir Baba as Secretary of the movement, adding that other officials and coordinators would be unveiled after further consultations.
The group urged its supporters across the country and in the diaspora to remain calm and united amid the leadership changes.
Addressing broader national issues, Johnson called on the administration of President Bola Tinubu to guarantee a fair democratic environment ahead of the 2027 elections.
He also urged the Federal Government to review cases involving detained EndSARS protesters and individuals arrested during recent anti-government demonstrations.
“We equally call on opposition leaders across Nigeria to understand that national progress requires unity of purpose. No single individual should define the destiny of Nigeria,” he said.
Johnson further claimed that individuals who assumed leadership positions within the movement without the approval of its original founders were no longer recognised.
Explaining the origin of the movement, he said it emerged in 2022 from the civic consciousness generated by the EndSARS protests and was initially conceived as a broader political platform aimed at promoting youth participation and democratic reforms.
According to him, the movement first aligned with the National Rescue Movement before later supporting Obi under the Labour Party during the 2023 elections, leading to the popularisation of the “Obidient” identity.