The Obidient Movement has reiterated that its principal, Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, does not engage in personal attacks nor encourage such behavior.
In a statement released in Abuja, the National Coordinator of the movement, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, emphasized that Obi has consistently maintained a politics of issues rather than character assaults.
According to him, Obi has never condoned personal attacks. On the matter involving activist Dele Farotimi, Tanko clarified that Obi only expressed concern over the manner of Farotimi’s arrest and detention—an intervention that was well understood by elder statesman Afe Babalola.
He further stressed that Obi is not known for enticing people with money, but rather for directing resources toward areas that uplift society. “Obi invests in education, youth entrepreneurship, healthcare, the almajiri system, and in supporting the poor, the sick, and the marginalized. His mission has always been to lift people out of poverty, not to engage in patronage politics,” Tanko stated.
The coordinator explained that seeking leniency for others while also demanding accountability when falsely accused are not contradictory, but legitimate approaches. He recalled that on December 9, 2024, he was part of a delegation that paid a courtesy visit to Afe Babalola, during which the issue of Farotimi’s defamation case came up. According to Tanko, the case was withdrawn following the intervention of the Ooni of Ife, and not because Obi “begged,” as falsely alleged. He described such claims as deliberate misinformation, noting that even Mr. IK Aboyi, who was present at another related meeting, had already clarified the matter.
Tanko stressed that Obi’s decision not to pursue long, drawn-out court processes was a matter of strategic choice, not an admission of guilt. He also dismissed allegations linking Obi to WhatsApp broadcasts targeting Lagos, insisting that no credible evidence has ever been presented to support such claims.
“These recycled lies are the handiwork of paid propagandists who thrive on deception because the truth exposes their failures,” he said. “They hide behind fake titles to gain attention, but their words carry no weight with Nigerians who are fed up with deceit, corruption, and manipulation.”
Tanko concluded by affirming that the Obidient Movement remains firmly committed to truth over propaganda, service over selfishness, and facts over fabrications.
