‘The Prize Is 2027’: Obidient Movement Urges Supporters to Look Beyond Primary Election Controversies

The Obidient Movement has appealed to aggrieved members to remain calm amid growing discontent over the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) nationwide primaries, saying the movement must remain focused on Peter Obi’s 2027 presidential ambition.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Yunusa Tanko, national coordinator of the movement, acknowledged concerns raised by supporters, particularly aspirants who participated in the party’s recent primary elections.

Tanko said the movement was aware of the reactions that followed the exercise and recognised the disappointment expressed by some members across Nigeria and the diaspora.

“We see the widespread concerns, reactions, and sentiments expressed by members of the movement, especially members who were aspirants of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and our teeming supporters across Nigeria and the diaspora regarding the conduct of the party’s recent nationwide primaries,” he said.

“We have listened. We have heard you. And we speak today not only as leaders of a movement, but as fellow believers in a shared dream.”

The Obidient Movement coordinator admitted that the primaries were not without challenges but urged members not to allow disagreements arising from the process to weaken the movement.

“We acknowledge, openly and honestly, that the recent NDC primaries were not without their difficulties. Internal processes of this scale rarely are,” Tanko said.

“We do not dismiss the pain of those who feel aggrieved. Every aspirant, delegate, and supporter who invested their time, resources, energy, and hope into this process deserves to be heard and treated with fairness and dignity.”

He said consultations were ongoing to address complaints and rebuild unity within the movement.

“We therefore assure all aggrieved parties that active and sincere consultations are underway at the highest levels of the movement to address these concerns, heal these wounds, and restore the sense of brotherhood and sisterhood that defines who we are,” he said.

“These reconciliation efforts are not performative. They are purposeful, and they will bear fruit.”

Tanko also urged members to exercise restraint while reconciliation efforts continue, assuring them that justice and fairness remained central to the movement’s values.

“To our brothers and sisters who are hurting, who are angry, who feel that the movement has let them down at this moment, we say this with love: stoop to conquer,” he said.

“The wisest among us know that not every battle must be fought loudly, and not every wound must be displayed publicly. This is a time for both wisdom and restraint.”

He warned that internal divisions could undermine the movement’s broader political objectives ahead of the 2027 general election.

“We can disagree without destroying one another. We can raise concerns without creating chaos. We can defend our principles without burning the bridges we will need to cross together on the road to 2027,” Tanko said.

“History has taught us, time and again, that movements fall not from external opposition, but from internal division. We must not repeat those mistakes.”

Reiterating the movement’s priorities, Tanko said supporters should remain focused on securing victory for Obi in the next presidential election rather than engaging in internal disputes.

“Let there be no ambiguity about where our focus must lie. The prize is not a social media argument. The prize is not internal supremacy. The prize is the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2027,” he said.

“Our mission is too important, and the Nigerian people are counting on us too greatly, to allow ourselves to be sidetracked.”

The appeal comes amid tensions that have lingered within the NDC since the conclusion of its nationwide primaries in May. Some Obi supporters have criticised the party leadership over the conduct of the exercise and events leading up to it.

Speaking on Arise Television’s *Prime Time* programme on Wednesday, Seriake Dickson, the NDC’s national leader, urged Obi supporters to stop attacking the party and its leadership, arguing that such actions could weaken the platform supporting their preferred candidate.

Dickson also dismissed suggestions that the NDC should be grateful to Obi or any other political figure for joining the party, maintaining that the party had already demonstrated confidence in Obi by adopting him as its sole presidential candidate and selecting a running mate without internal disputes.