Ex-Obidients endorse Tinubu for second term, adopt APC
Ex-Obidients endorse Tinubu for second term, adopt APC
A group of former supporters of Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term in 2027 and adopted the All Progressives Congress (APC) as its political platform.
The group, known as Batified Obidients, announced its decision on Wednesday at a press conference in Abuja, saying it would mobilise former Obidient supporters, undecided voters and other Nigerians to back Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Adesina Fagbenro-Byron, former director of operations at the Obidient Movement, leads the group.
However, Fabian Chukwudoruo, the group’s deputy national coordinator and former head of logistics of the Obi/Datti presidential campaign Council, addressed journalists at the event.
In his address titled “Formal Launch of Batified Obidients”, Chukwudoruo said the group’s decision followed reflections on its experience working within Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign and an assessment of the Tinubu administration’s policies.
“We are former Labour Party and Obidient supporters. We are now shifting our support to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and adopting the All Progressives Congress, the APC, as our political vehicle for 2027, under the name Batified Obidients,” he said.
Chukwudoruo said the group believed Tinubu and the APC offered a credible platform for pursuing good governance and sustainable development.
“Therefore, we unequivocally endorse President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term,” he said, adding that the group’s endorsement also extended to Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
‘OBI IS NOT PREPARED TO LEAD A COMPLEX COUNTRY LIKE NIGERIA’
Chukwudoruo said members of the supported Obi in 2023 because they believed he could break with the political status quo and promote inclusive governance.
However, he said their experience within the campaign exposed weaknesses in talent management, the handling of diversity and the resolution of internal conflicts.
“Competent people who offered their expertise were often left unappreciated or unrecognised,” he said.
“Looking back with clear eyes, we have come to see that the demands of leading a country as complex and demanding as Nigeria may have been beyond what Mr Peter Obi was prepared for.”
He also alleged that Obi failed to make sufficient use of the professionals who volunteered their time, skills and expertise during the campaign.
“What we could not give him was the capacity he did not have,” Chukwudoruo said.
He said the group’s decision to support Tinubu was not motivated by bitterness towards Obi or his supporters.
Chukwudoruo added that the group respected those who remained with the former Anambra governor or had aligned with other political parties.
“We are not here to diminish any other party. We are here to build a broad coalition for good governance and sustainable development on the platform of the APC,” he said.
GROUP TARGETS OPPOSITION STRONGHOLDS
According to Chukwudoruo, the group would seek to increase the support Tinubu received in 2023, particularly in states won by opposition candidates.
He said it activities would include voter mobilisation, registration, grassroots organisation, campaign rallies and support for APC candidates ahead of the 2027 general election.
He expressed optimism that the group would attract a substantial number of former Obidient supporters, acknowledging that some had moved to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other political platforms.
“We may not be able to bring every Obidient onto this platform,” Chukwudoruo said, adding that the group respected the political choices of those who remained with Obi or supported other parties.
He said the group’s name reflected its political evolution, adding that it remained committed to the demand for good governance associated with the Obidient movement while aligning itself with Tinubu’s political platform.
“Our loyalty is to Nigeria first. We remain Obidient to Nigeria. We are Batified for the task of rebuilding Nigeria,” it said.
