The Obidient Movement has insisted that the 2027 presidency should remain in the South, declaring that former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, is best positioned to complete what it described as the region’s “remaining term.”

The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, made the position known in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, amid rising political realignments ahead of the 2027 general election.

Tanko’s declaration comes on the same day Obi’s running mate in the 2023 election, Datti Baba-Ahmed declared for the 2027 presidency at a rally held at the Labour Party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday.

Baba-Ahmed’s announcement comes barely one week after Obi announced his departure from the Labour Party for the African Democratic Congress.

This move has triggered intense debate over the party’s future and the direction of the wider opposition ahead of the next general election.

On Wednesday, Baba-Ahmed flanked by the embattled LP National Chairman, Julius Abure, said his aspiration was neither reactionary nor dependent on Obi’s political decisions, stressing that his presidential ambition predates the 2023 election.

Baba-Ahmed, a northern Muslim, downplayed religion and ethnicity, insisting that Nigeria’s constitution guarantees every qualified citizen the right to seek elective office.

However, Tanko, a close ally of Obi, while speaking with The PUNCH, said the Obidient Movement was tired of being drawn into discussions suggesting that Obi should step aside or defer his ambition, stressing that the Obidients’ stance was rooted in democratic principles and equity.

“We are democrats. We believe it is the turn of the South and Obi will complete the remaining term of the South. That is our position,” he stated.

Tanko’s remarks come as opposition politics enters a tense phase, with multiple heavyweight contenders openly jostling for the ADC presidential ticket, raising questions about consensus, zoning and internal cohesion within the emerging opposition bloc.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had on Tuesday vowed not to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race, dismissing calls for him to step down as dangerous to Nigeria’s democracy.

Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 election and is now seeking the ADC ticket, made the declaration in a statement signed by his media aide, Paul Ibe, on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, at his formal declaration in Abuja on Wednesday, Datti-Baba reminded party members and supporters that his presidential ambition predated 2023 when he accepted to be Obi’s running mate.

He said, “I have made myself to contest for the office in 2027. I’m not following anybody’s trajectory or stepping into anybody’s shoes. Can I please remind you that before His Excellency Governor Peter Obi filed for the presidency, I aspired for the presidency before him? The records are there for you to see.”

“In October 2018, I participated in the primaries of the then PDP in Port Harcourt and walked to Obi for his vote and he smiled at me. What a gentleman he was.

“If you heard me well in what I just submitted, I saw a rare opportunity for national unity to have elected Peter Obi in 2023. And that is why I decided to flow with it.”

Baba-Ahmed also addressed concerns about religion and ethnicity, insisting that Nigeria’s constitution guarantees every qualified citizen the right to seek elective office.

“Yes, I am a practising Muslim. But I’m a Nigerian and the constitution allows me to contest. You asked about my ethnicity. Yes, I am an Hausa man and Nigerian constitution also allows me to contest. I’m doing this because Nigeria needs help.”

However, Baba-Ahmed noted that while he had made his intention known, he would adhere strictly to party and electoral guidelines.

“As a law-abiding citizen and a loyal party member, until the timetable is released by INEC and the leadership of the Labour Party calls for interested aspirants, I will not say anything about it. But remember I told you that Nigerians know the truth,” he stated.

Reacting, the National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, commended Baba-Ahmed for remaining in the party despite speculations that he might defect following Obi’s exit.

Abure said the development demonstrated that the Labour Party remained intact, adding that several key figures, including the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, had also chosen to stay back.

He said, “Only recently, the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, told the world that he joined the party before Peter Obi did – this is true. Otti also said he was not going to defect with Peter Obi.

“On the night Peter Obi defected, I received a telephone call from our vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Dr. Datti Baba-Ahmed. He said he is not leaving the party because it was the platform upon which he, along with the former candidate, received 10 million votes from Nigerians, which was reduced to 6 million votes. We all know what happened.”

Abure further disclosed that Baba-Ahmed personally suggested a meeting of party leaders and members to reaffirm unity within the party.

“In fact, he asked me to organize an event where members can come together. He first suggested that we meet at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel with a few senior members that he would foot the bill.

“But I suggested that we hold the event here at the party secretariat and invite our members, artisans and ordinary people, who truly own the party, and he agreed. That is why we are having this gathering here today.

“The Labour Party is intact; we will not let Nigerians down. We will remain together and provide a genuine alternative for Nigerians.”

Baba-Ahmed’s declaration has added a fresh dimension to the emerging 2027 presidential contest, as parties begin early positioning amid shifting alliances within the opposition. (The PUNCH)

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