Nigerian political activist Aisha Yesufu says Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, benefited from the collective anger of Nigerians against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Yesufu said that Obi did not create the ‘Obidient’ movement himself but as a result of the alleged #Endsars killing by the APC government, many became interested in politics since they were mocked and told to vote for those who killed the protesters.
Yesufu made this statement in a tweet on Friday, responding to questions about the movement’s origin, noting that there was already a movement before the name Obidient was coined.
@real_cjasogwa asked, “Did anybody really create the Obidient movement? I would like to be educated. But it will be interesting to know who used the word – Obidient first. Anyone knows, please?”
Yesufu stated that nobody created the movement; instead, it emerged organically from the public’s desire to vote out the APC following the #EndSARS protests and the government’s response.
She explained that the movement was fueled by the collective anger and frustration of Nigerians, who felt mocked and dismissed by the APC government.
Peter Obi’s presidential bid benefited from this grassroots momentum, and the name “Obidient” was coined later to describe his supporters.
The Obidient movement, which began online and grew offline, comprises youths and individuals from various strata of society, all united in their support for Peter Obi’s candidacy.
The movement’s primary objective is to ensure Obi’s electoral victory in the 2023 presidential elections.
Obi’s announcement of his presidential ambitions, according to Yesufu, resonated with many and there was a collective anger to vote out the APC, which led to the name being coined to fit the candidate.
Yesufu stated, “Exactly! Nobody created Obedient Movement. After the #Endsars killing by APC government, many became interested in politics since they were mocked and told to vote those who killed the protesters. There was a collective anger to vote out APC.
“Peter Obi was a beneficiary of that collective anger of the people. When he made his intentions to run for presidency many with that collective anger supported him and from there the name was coined to fit the candidate following the habit of naming supporters after a person supported in Nigeria.
“There was already a movement before the name OBIdient was coined.”
