RismadarVoice Reporters, May 18, 2026
A faction of the Obidient Movement has warned that former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, could lose the backing of sections of the movement ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group accused Obi of distancing himself from grassroots supporters who played a major role in his 2023 presidential campaign under the Labour Party.
Speaking in Awka, the faction’s coordinator, Ikenna Azomchine, popularly known as “Obidient General,” expressed disappointment over what he described as Obi’s silence and reduced engagement with supporters after the 2023 elections.
According to Azomchine, several lawmakers who benefited from the popularity of the Obidient Movement during the elections had failed to remain connected to the grassroots supporters who helped secure their victories.
“We have assessed all those who rode on the back of the Obidient Movement to win elections in 2023, and you can only score them 50 per cent,” he stated.
He said the faction would begin mobilising against lawmakers considered underperforming and would demand accountability and performance scorecards from elected officials associated with the movement.
Azomchine further stated that the group was moving away from what he described as “blind loyalty” and would instead support candidates based on competence, credibility and commitment to good governance, regardless of political affiliation.
According to him, the movement intends to evaluate candidates presented by political parties ahead of the 2027 elections before deciding who to support.
While maintaining that Peter Obi remains respected within the movement, Azomchine stressed that future support for the former presidential candidate would no longer be automatic.
He added that trust between Obi and sections of the movement would need to be rebuilt through greater engagement, responsiveness and accountability to supporters at the grassroots level.
