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The leadership of the Obidient Movement has rejected the Labour Party (LP)’s recent establishment of an ‘Obedient Directorate’.
In a statement released late on Sunday in Abuja, the movement issued a disclaimer, co-signed by Mubarak Bawa, representing the Obedient Conveners Collective, which includes 223 Peter Obi Support Group Conveners, Barr. Daniel Elomba, Co-Convener of the Peter Obi Support Network (POSN), and 37 others.
Naija News recalls that, the National Chairman of the LP, Julius Abure, announced the establishment of a directorate to oversee the party’s affairs, with the goal of reducing tensions and restoring confidence among other stakeholders.
The Labour Party, in its repositioning strategy, introduced the Obedient Directorate, appointing Marcel Ngogbehei as Director, Aju Elumelu as Deputy Director (Diaspora), and Mariam Ismaila as Deputy Director.
Leaders of the Obidient Movement were angered by the Labour Party’s decision to formalize the Obidient Directorate and assimilate its members into the party’s framework, seeing it as an overreach due to the appointment of individuals without consulting Peter Obi or the movement’s key figures.
The group leaders, however, criticized the party’s decision, contending that it was an effort to undermine their grassroots-driven movement.
Leading conveners of the Obidient Movement, representing 261 support groups, issued a statement titled “We Vehemently Reject Julius Abure’s Attempt to Usurp the Obidient Movement,” firmly rejecting the offer extended by the Labour Party.
They emphasized the movement’s inception as an autonomous coalition of support groups, which played a crucial role in rejuvenating the political prospects of the Labour Party.
The statement partly read, “We, the leading 261 conveners of the Obidient Movement support groups, are compelled to issue this statement, rejecting Julius Abure’s brazen attempt to co-opt the Obidient Movement by creating an ‘Obedient Directorate’ within the Labour Party.
“The Obidient Movement predates Peter Obi’s entry into the Labour Party and is a global force far more potent than the Labour Party, which had not seen electoral success since Olusegun Mimiko’s 2007 governorship win in Ondo.
“The Labour Party had one job in the 2023 elections: to protect the votes and secure the victory achieved by the Obidients.
“On this simple task, Julius Abure and his party failed spectacularly—failing Peter Obi, failing the millions of Obidients worldwide, and failing Nigeria’s future generations.
“We categorically reject the creation of an Obidient Directorate within the Labour Party. We explicitly reject the appointment of a charlatan like Marcel Ngogbehei to any position of authority within the movement.
“We call on Julius Abure to halt this destructive plot and engage in sincere dialogue with the true stakeholders of the Obidient Movement, starting with His Excellency Peter Obi.”
The leaders of various support groups criticized the LP leadership’s move to establish a directorate, viewing it as an effort to control the movement that had revitalized the party, denouncing it as a “ludicrous scheme” and a “destructive plot.”
They condemned Marcel Ngogbehei’s appointment as director, labeling him a discredited figure with a history of corruption, asserting that the Obidient Movement recognizes only Peter Obi as its leader.
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