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From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
Some former officials of Peter Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign organisation have declared support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, launching a political group, Batified Obidients, to mobilise support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general election.
The former Labour Party campaign officials, who announced their decision at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, accused the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council of poor management of personnel, failure to harness available expertise and inability to resolve internal disagreements.
They said their decision to switch allegiance followed a reassessment of their experiences during the 2023 campaign and their evaluation of the Tinubu administration’s policies since assuming office.
The group is led by the former Director of Operations of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Adesina Fagbenro-Byron, who emerged as its national coordinator.
Fabian Ozoigbo Chukwudoruo, who served as head of logistics in the campaign organisation, is the deputy national coordinator and read the keynote address at the press conference.
Declaring their support for Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima, the former campaign officials said they had adopted the APC as their political platform for the 2027 election.
“Today, we have made our choice. Let there be no ambiguity. We are coming together again,” Fagbenro-Byron declared in the address read on his behalf.
“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.”
Explaining their departure from Obi’s political camp, the group said its members had invested their time, professional expertise and personal resources in the 2023 presidential campaign because they believed it offered an opportunity to change Nigeria’s political direction.
However, Fagbenro-Byron alleged that the campaign failed to make effective use of the experience and skills available within its organisation.
“After months of honest reflection on what we witnessed from inside the campaign, the truth became impossible to ignore,” he said.
“We saw real weaknesses in how talent was mis-managed, how diversity was mis-handled, and how internal conflicts went unresolved. Competent people who offered their expertise were often left unappreciated or unrecognised.”
He maintained that the alleged organisational shortcomings had raised questions among the defectors about the leadership capacity required to manage a country as complex as Nigeria.
“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 said.
“This is not to say he did not try, or that his intentions were not sincere. But it became clear to those of us inside the campaign that he was, in many ways, out of his depth without fully realising it.”
According to him, the campaign attracted professionals who were willing to contribute to its objectives, but their abilities were not adequately harnessed.
“That vast pool of talent was largely left untapped. The opportunity was there. It was not seized,” he added.
The group, however, acknowledged that its conclusions represented the experiences of its members and not necessarily those of everyone who supported Obi in the 2023 election.
It noted that some former Obi supporters had joined other political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), while others remained in the Labour Party.
Turning to the Tinubu administration, Batified Obidients acknowledged the economic hardship facing Nigerians but argued that some of the government’s reforms could provide a foundation for long-term development.
“The reforms have been difficult. They have been painful for many households. Hunger is real. The cost of living has bitten hard. Families are struggling to put food on the table,” Fagbenro-Byron said.
He maintained that the group was not dismissing the hardship experienced by Nigerians but believed the administration’s policy direction deserved support.
Among the measures cited were the removal of petrol subsidy, increased allocations to state and local governments, student loan initiatives, local fertiliser production and reforms allowing states greater participation in electricity regulation.
The group also welcomed the Supreme Court’s affirmation of local government financial autonomy, arguing that its implementation could strengthen grassroots development.
“These are not finished victories. They are the foundations of a country that can produce more of what it needs instead of living forever on imports and artificial prices,” the address stated.
It also expressed support for infrastructure projects associated with the Minister of Works, David Umahi, and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, as well as initiatives in the solid minerals sector under Dele Alake.
Fagbenro-Byron said members wanted the projects completed and their anticipated benefits delivered to Nigerians.
Outlining its plans, the group said it would undertake membership registration, rallies, political campaigns and grassroots mobilisation, particularly in states where opposition candidates defeated Tinubu in 2023.
“We will mobilise our former colleagues, undecided voters, and other Nigerians who desire competent and inclusive governance,” Fagbenro-Byron said.
“We will work to grow the support President Tinubu received in 2023, with special attention to states where his opposition won.”
The group said it would collaborate with existing APC support organisations rather than establish a competing political structure.
It also called on federal, state and local governments to develop a credible social register covering all local government areas to ensure that public interventions reach vulnerable Nigerians.
Explaining the choice of name, Fagbenro-Byron said members were changing their political allegiance without abandoning what they regarded as their original commitment to good governance.
“We do not deny our history. But we remain Obidient to the hunger for good governance. We are Batified in our recognition of competence, courage, and the direction needed to rebuild Nigeria,” he said.
However, the former campaign officials did not disclose how many members of the 2023 campaign council had joined Batified Obidients or provide figures indicating its support within the wider Obidient movement.
“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,” Fagbenro-Byron said.
“For us, the choice is clear: APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027,” he declared.
