Former Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has denied allegations that he encouraged members of the Obidient Movement to insult leaders of the opposition coalition, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Obi made the clarification in a viral video circulating on social media amid rising tensions within the African Democratic Congress over the party’s emerging presidential permutations.
When contacted to verify the authenticity of the video, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr Yunusa Tanko, told The PUNCH that the clip was from an engagement held at the movement’s secretariat on Tuesday.
In the video, Obi distanced himself from verbal attacks allegedly carried out in his name, insisting that such conduct was alien to his politics and the ethos of the Obidients.
“These are criminals who are not Obidient people. You don’t see anybody calling the other a bad name. You have never seen me call anybody a bad name,” Obi said.
He stressed that his political engagement within the ADC was anchored on mutual respect, adding, “We are in the ADC and respect everybody there. But as for calling people bad names, we are not in support of it. I don’t subscribe to it.”
The former Anambra State governor further underscored his long-standing relationships with key figures in the opposition coalition, dismissing claims that he would sanction insults against them.
“The people I met there, down to the party chairman, are my elder brothers. People like Atiku are my leader and a very respected elder brother. Amaechi is my brother, and we are very close.
“So also is El-Rufai. Name them, all the people who are there—Liyel Limoke, Oyegun, Aregbesola. These are my colleagues. So how do I say anything bad about them?” he asked.
Obi assured his supporters that he had not authorised any form of verbal attack, warning that some individuals were exploiting his name to sow discord within the coalition.
“Those who are following me, I assure you, will not say anything bad about them. But some elements are trying to do that to hurt the Peter Obi brand,” he added.
Calling for a shift in focus, Obi urged politicians and supporters alike to prioritise Nigeria’s pressing challenges rather than internal squabbles.
“That is not what we should be doing in politics. Let us talk about out-of-school children, hungry and unemployed Nigerians, insecurity, and how random abduction of people—where about 150 worshippers are being kidnapped in churches and mosques—is occurring. That should be our pre-occupation,” he said.
The PUNCH had reported that cracks were emerging within the ADC over Obi’s presidential ambition following his defection to the party as part of the opposition coalition.
Findings indicated that the tension stemmed from the insistence by Obi’s supporters, popularly known as Obidients, that he must be considered for the party’s presidential ticket or risk their withdrawal.
Our correspondents gathered that some ADC leaders, particularly from the North, had grown displeased with what they described as the overbearing attitude of Obi’s promoters, prompting a number of them to begin distancing themselves from the former governor.
Obi, a key figure in the opposition coalition that later transformed into the ADC, formally joined the party on December 31, 2025, in Enugu. Before his defection, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate had pledged to serve a single term if elected president.
However, Obi’s followers—many of whom migrated from the Labour Party to the ADC—have maintained that he must clinch the presidential ticket, arguing that the South deserves to retain power for eight years before it returns to the North.
One of Obi’s staunch loyalists, Aisha Yesufu, had publicly vowed to work against the ADC if Obi accepted a vice-presidential slot.
In a viral video released shortly after his defection, she said, “Let me go back to the Mr Peter Obi conversation where people are like, ‘you should run as vice president.’ Me, and I’m giving you people my word now… if Peter Obi is running with anyone as the vice president, as the running mate to that person, I will work against that ticket.
“In my little capacity, I will work against that ticket. Even if I don’t support any other person, I will work against that ticket.”
Similarly, a professor of political economy, Pat Utomi, warned that he would withdraw his support for Obi if the former Anambra governor accepted a vice-presidential candidacy.
Our reporters gathered that the hardline posture of Obi’s loyalists had begun to fuel hostility between his camp and that of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
In a post on his X handle on Tuesday, Atiku cautioned both his supporters and those of Obi against verbal attacks, warning that such actions were undermining opposition unity.
