Ex-Obi Supporters, ‘Batified Obidients’ Defect to APC, Back Tinubu

Former members of Peter Obi's 2023 presidential campaign have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The group, called Batified Obidients, endorsed President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima for a second term in 2027.

The group announced the move at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday. It said it would mobilise former Obidient supporters, undecided voters and opposition strongholds for the APC.

The group is led by Adesina Fagbenro-Byron, former Director of Operations of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council. “Today, we have made our choice. Let there be no ambiguity. We are coming together again,” he said.

“We are former Labour Party and Obidient supporters. We are now shifting our support to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and adopting the All Progressives Congress, the APC, as our political vehicle for 2027, under the name Batified Obidients,” he said.

Why They Left Obi

Fagbenro-Byron said the campaign mishandled talent, diversity and internal disputes.

“We saw real weaknesses in how talent was mismanaged, how diversity was mis-handled, and how internal conflicts went unresolved. Competent people who offered their expertise were often left unappreciated or unrecognised,” he said.

He also questioned whether Obi was ready to govern.

“Looking back with clear eyes, we have come to see that the demands of leading a country as complex and demanding as Nigeria may have been beyond what Mr Peter Obi was prepared for,” he added.

He said the group does not speak for all Obi supporters. Some have joined the African Democratic Congress and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, while others remain in the Labour Party.

Tinubu’s Reforms Cited

The group said Tinubu’s reforms influenced its decision. It named the petrol subsidy removal, higher allocations to states and local governments, student loans and local fertiliser production.

It also cited the Supreme Court ruling on local government financial autonomy. Fagbenro-Byron said the reforms have been painful.

“Hunger is real. The cost of living has bitten hard. Families are struggling to put food on the table,” he said.

The group said it would launch membership drives, rallies and campaigns. It will focus on states where opposition candidates beat Tinubu in 2023.

“For us, the choice is clear: APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027,” Fagbenro-Byron said.