The Obidients movement has pledged to accomplish even more than they did in the 2023 election as they start to rekindle and unite the movement ahead of the general election in 2027.
The group made the vow at the conference of the All Obidient Forum, organised by the Delta Obidient Elders’ Council on Saturday in Asaba, the Delta state capital.
In his welcome address, the state chairman of the Delta Obidient Elders’ Council, Chief Chris Biose, warmly thanked all Obidients nationwide and in the Diaspora for the heroic role they played, both individually and collectively, in various support groups.
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Biose expressed appreciation to the Obidient youths across political party lines who engaged in political mobilisation to defeat the entrenched APC and PDP in Delta State during the presidential election held on 25 February 2023.
He said, “On behalf of the Obidient Movement, I heartily thank all the Obidients nationwide and in the Diaspora for the heroic role we played individually in various support groups.
“It was so remarkable that other political parties could not believe their eyes when the Obidients garnered over 10 million votes for Mr. Peter Obi within a few months of campaigning.
“On behalf of the Delta Obidient Elders’ Council, I have the great honour to warmly welcome to Asaba our vibrant Obidients from all 25 local government areas of Delta State, as well as leaders of the Movement from across the country.
“It is time to prepare to re-enact the magic of 25 February 2023 with greater intensity and finality. The electorate that supported Mr. Peter Obi is still here—disappointed but still desirous of good governance. How do we re-enlist them in the struggle for a New Nigeria?
“From its beginning, the Obidient Movement was made up of thousands of spontaneous and enthusiastic support groups that greeted Mr. Peter Obi’s entrance into the presidential race.
“The movement had no leadership hierarchy or formal organisational structure. This time around, Mr. Peter Obi has wisely appointed an interim national coordinator for the Obidient Movement in the highly respected Dr. Tanko Yunusa, and we encourage all Obidients to take advantage of this significant step.
“I urge all Obidient support groups to work as a team for the achievement of the objective that was rudely and crudely denied us in February 2023. We will do even more than we did in the 2023 election.
“Obidients is not just about protest marches or online media activism. They are concerned with key issues of the National Question. Bearing in mind the ruthlessly exploitative and anti-people ethos of the Nigerian ruling class, Obidients yearn for a New Nigeria. This entails dismantling the political structure that sustains the present system of electoral, political, social, and economic injustice in Nigeria.”
Biose said that the first step in building a New Nigeria is electoral reform to enable the electorate to remove incompetent and anti-people government structures, stressing that Obidients must first work out countermeasures to neutralise the electoral marauders.
He stated that Nigerian youths constitute the body and soul of the Obidient Movement, noting that one of their prime duties as elders was to guide and counsel youths and other social groups in society to adhere to core social values.
The keynote speaker, Prof. Chris Nwaokobia, stated that the Obidient Movement ignited a fire in Nigeria’s social and political space during the 2023 election, adding that it is now time to start networking ahead of 2027.
He described President Bola Tinubu’s government as a monstrous failure, saying that the leadership had lost direction and didn’t know what to do for the country’s economy.
“We will repeat even more of what we did in the 2023 election. Just because they stole the 2023 election doesn’t mean they will steal the 2027 election,” he said.
“We will not give up on Nigeria. Be like fishers of men; go and bring more people into the Obidient Movement. A New Nigeria is possible,” he admonished.
Obi, who joined the conference via Zoom, highlighted the importance of early mobilisation.
He said the theme of the conference, “Reawakening and Harmonising the Obidient Movement for a New Nigeria,” is particularly timely, given the current economic challenges in the country.
Other Obidients who spoke via Zoom, including Prof. Pat Utomi, Delly Ajufo, Chris Iyovwaye, and Dr. Yunusa Tanko, lamented the economic failures and called on the youths to mobilise early.
They said that if they could achieve so much in 2023 with less than a year of mobilisation, they would do even more in 2027.
