“The Obidient movement is far beyond any political party,” declared Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, via his X handle in response to the party’s decision to create a directorate of the Obidient movement.
“This Directorate will coordinate the registration of all members of the Obidient community, fully integrate them into the party’s structure, facilitate diaspora participation in party affairs, receive and address complaints, and, if unable to address them, refer such complaints to the party’s leadership” a statement by the party’s national publicity secretary noted.
In addition, the directorate is also expected to coordinate the collection of dues and donations to the party, ensure that all OBIDIENTS are financial members of the party, and work closely with the National Youth Leader, National Women Leader, and National Organising Secretary to create programmes that will fully and effectively assimilate all members of the OBIDIENT family into the party.
‘Beyond a Party’
The Labour Party, through the statement, announced the appointment of Marcel Ngogbehei as Director, Aju Elumelu as Deputy Director (Diaspora), and Mrs. Mariam Ismail as one of the other directors of the OBIDIENT directorate, as part of its repositioning efforts to integrate millions of our youths and particularly the OBIDIENT family into the larger family of the Labour Party.
However, in a series of tweets that revealed a deeper discontent and rift between him and the party leadership, Peter Obi declared the non-partisanship of the group adding that “the Obidient Movement is not the directorate of any particular party”.
“Any individual or individuals claiming to be leaders of this non-existent directorate are simply not members of the broader Obidient Movement,” Obi stated. “There may be a youth mobilization directorate in political parties, but the Obidient movement goes far beyond a specific political party.” The Obidient Movement is a diverse and inclusive collective that transcends traditional political, religious, and ethnic affiliations,” he submitted.
Cult-like followers’
With Peter Obi’s salvo, the leadership of the Labour Party quickly bowed to pressure by renaming the Obidient directorate to the Directorate of Mobilization and Integration. “Following the controversies arising from the creation of the Directorate of OBIDIENT Affairs, the Directorate is hereby renamed the Directorate of Mobilisation and Integration,” Obiora Ifoh, Labour Party national publicity secretary, posited in a statement.
Analysts believe the OBIDIENT movement’s concept was counterintuitive, as its creators failed to carry Mr. Obi and his loyalists along from inception. They asserted the backlash was avoidable if the right thing had been done. “Labour party leaders assumed they could simply snatch one of Peter Obi’s most consequential gifts by creating a directorate that will oversee the affairs of his cult-like followers,” Daniel Chidi posited, “but now they have seen the handwriting on the wall as to who calls the shot of the movement.”
‘Trolling For Show‘
The Obidient movement has faced heavy criticism for its members’ conduct. Notable among critics is Professor Wole Soyinka, who has accused the group of fascism, describing the movement as a threat to the judiciary.
On April 8, 2023, the literary icon announced the refusal of Mr. Obi’s supporters to entertain corrective criticism as their badge of honor and certificate of commitment. The Noble Laureate declared, “I know for a fact, and I can give you an instance that proves that he (Peter Obi) was in control of those forces.” Others also noted that Mr. Obi’s quick criticism of the Directorate might indicate his lack of commitment to the Labour Party course, a claim he dismissed and debunked in one fell swoop.
