‘Obidient’ Movement Will Seek New Paths If Labour Party Resists Good Governance And Accountability, Says Yunusa Tanko

The National Coordinator of Nigeria’s “Obidient” Movement, Yunusa Tanko has asserted the movement’s independence and the possibility to pivot to another platform to uphold its values of good governance and accountability.
He said, “The Obidient Movement is bigger than the Labour Party… We have them everywhere, academicians, traders, some members of other political parties – When it becomes inevitable that the Labour Party is not ready to assimilate the idea of good governance… we will have to look for another opportunity.”

In a recent interview with Arise News on Tuesday, Tanko outlined the group’s ambitions amidst perceived challenges within the Labour Party. He emphasised that the movement is ready to mobilise and expand its reach, especially after the setbacks of the 2023 general elections.
Reflecting on the Labour Party’s shortcomings in the last election, Tanko admitted, “It’s clear to us that there are challenges within the Labour Party…

During the 2023 general elections, we were accused, rightly so, that we do not have structures in all of the polling units.”
He pointed out that 1,760 polling units were not covered by Labour Party, and the Obidient Movement now aims to remedy this by creating a “solid foundation” across all units.
“We are getting prepared and we are ready to face the challenges,” he added.

Tanko addressed how the Obidient Movement is expanding beyond Peter Obi’s initial influence, noting significant support across Nigeria, including in the northern regions.
“Where you thought we don’t have them, we are now having them,” he said, highlighting that even in regions with religious sensitivities, young people are pushing for change.

In response to disappointment among Nigerians regarding Labour lawmakers elected with Obi’s influence, Tanko emphasised the need for structure within the movement to address public dissatisfaction. He said, “What we have in position now is that the national coordinator, we are going to have zonal coordinators, state coordinators, local government coordinators and unit commanders. There is going to be a direction with a concept we have already put in place, and I can assure you it will governise everybody into place so that all of these particular issues that you raised will not rear its heads, because if there is no direction, we can’t hold anybody responsible.”

He also noted that a formal registration system would soon allow for easy identification of members across Nigeria, stating,
“The data will be so coordinated… you can easily identify an Obidient where he resides at the point of his vote.”
Asked about potential alliances with other political figures, Tanko confirmed that the movement is open to discussions, highlighting the importance of a robust platform, and added,
“That is the reason we are independently building the Obidient Movement to show our strength.”

Faridah Abdulkadiri

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