By Henry Umoru
ABUJA — Former members of the 2023 Presidential Campaign Council of Peter Obi have launched a political platform, Batified Obidients, declaring their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Renewed Hope Agenda ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group said its decision to support Tinubu followed what it described as months of reflection on its experience during Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign.
In a statement signed on Thursday by its National Coordinator, Adesina Fagbenro-Byron, the group said it would work for Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 and support efforts to ensure the success of his second term.
The statement was also signed by the group’s regional coordinators: Bala Abubakar, North-West; Ekana Simeon Lamorde, North-East; Daniel Gambo, North-Central; Banwo Mayowa, South-West; Izunna Desmond, South-South; and Odira Alexander, South-East.
The group said it would draw on the professional experience of its members from the Obi campaign to mobilise former Obi supporters, undecided voters and other Nigerians around the Renewed Hope Agenda.
It also said it would work to increase Tinubu’s 2023 presidential vote tally, which stood at 8,794,726, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to the group, it would particularly focus on states where Obi secured victories in 2023, while seeking to build support for Tinubu across the country.
Why we left Obi — group
Explaining its decision, the group said its members had reached the conclusion that Obi did not possess some of the leadership qualities they considered necessary to govern Nigeria.
It said the assessment was based on its experience working within the 2023 campaign and was not motivated by personal animosity.
The group alleged that it observed what it described as weaknesses in diversity management, talent utilisation and internal conflict resolution during and after the campaign.
It further claimed that some professionals who contributed their expertise to the campaign were not adequately recognised or effectively deployed.
According to the group, those experiences shaped its assessment of leadership, coalition-building, legislative experience, crisis management and national reach.
It also said the Labour Party was not, in its assessment, structurally or ideologically prepared to govern Nigeria.
Group outlines structure
The organisation said it would operate through a National Coordinator and a secretariat comprising a Secretary, Financial Secretary, Publicity Secretary and Operations Secretary.
It would also have regional coordinators for the six geopolitical zones and State Point Men across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The group said the national secretariat would provide direction, while the regional coordinators and State Point Men would implement programmes and report through the established structure.
It stressed that it did not claim to speak for all supporters of Obi.
“We deliberately do not call ourselves the ‘Obidient Movement.’ That name is a proprietary political identity tied to Peter Obi and the Labour Party. We are Batified Obidients — former Obidients who have crossed over to BAT and the Renewed Hope Agenda,” it said.
The group said its support for Tinubu was based on its assessment of his leadership capacity and the country’s current needs.
“We believe in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and we have confidence in his capability, his experience, and his commitment to Nigeria,” it said.
It added that its members were convinced that the administration’s ongoing reforms would benefit the country if sustained to fruition.
“Our mission is clear: re-elect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ensure his second term succeeds, and help deliver a Nigeria that works for all,” the group said.
Batified Obidients said its campaign would include explaining the administration’s reforms to the public and building support for the Renewed Hope Agenda ahead of the 2027 election.
The emergence of the group has also been reported as a new platform of former Obi campaign members supporting Tinubu and the APC ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
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