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.
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