OBIDIENTS in Anambra explain endorsement for Soludo, insist it’s not act of rebellion

By Ifeizu Joe

Anambra supporters of the Presidential candidate of Labour Party in the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi, under the Obidient Movement, have clarified the recent endorsement of the candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the state, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.

Members of the movement in Anambra State, led by Hon. Ikenna Azomchine, the Obidient General recently endorsed Soludo for a second term, dumping the candidate of the Labour Party in the forthcoming Anambra governorship election, Dr George Moghalu.

Their endorsement however was discarded by Dr. Yunusa Tanko, who claimed to be the leader of Obidient Movement; a political support group of Mr Peter Obi. But in his reply, Azomchine insists that the endorsement of Soludo did not mean being rebellious to the movement, but an admission of the performance of Soludo, which is similar to the good governance which Peter Obi stands for.

In a press release he signed, Azomchine who described himself as The Obidient General Worldwide said: “Let it be clear, the endorsement of Professor Chukwuma Soludo by the Obidient General and the majority of Anambra Obidients is neither fraudulent nor misleading. It is a conscious, value-driven, and legitimate decision anchored on competence, integrity, and visible performance.

“The endorsement of Soludo was a value-based act, not a political trade-off. The Obidient Movement is not a party platform. It is a citizens’ movement of conscience. The endorsement of Soludo was the collective will of over 80% of Anambra-based Obidients, following open consultations and performance assessments.

“The Obidient General (Azomchine) acted within his recognized and legitimate authority as a key national stakeholder of the Movement.

“The Obidient Movement was never created to promote blind party loyalty or personality cults. It was created to raise the bar of governance in Nigeria. Our support for Peter Obi was based on merit, not party uniform.

“The same principle now guides our support for Professor Soludo, whose governance in Anambra reflects vision, structure, and results.

“We have seen the roads being built, the schools revived, the hospitals upgraded, and the state stabilized under Soludo’s leadership. To interrupt that progress in the name of partisan solidarity would be an insult to reason and progress,” the group said.

Speaking further, Azomchine berated Tanko for claiming to be the leader of Obidient Movement in Nigeria. He also insisted that the movement is not affiliated to just Labour Party as it has people from other parties who also believe in the leadership of Mr Peter Obi, and as such can not be tied to any party or obligated to support any candidate of a party.

He also added that there was no official endorsement of the Labour Party governorship candidate in Anambra State, Dr George Moghalu, and as such, members of Obidient Movement in Anambra State are not obligated to adopt him.

“Dr. Tanko’s release is not only unauthorized but also a blatant misrepresentation of the philosophy and decentralized structure of the Obidient Movement. This response, therefore, aims to set the record straight and call out the inconsistencies, contradictions, and partisanship embedded in his claims.

“There was no official or collective meeting of the Obidient Movement at any level that endorsed George Moghalu or any other gubernatorial candidate in Anambra State. What happened was a Labour Party affair, in which members of the LP who also identify as Obidients expressed loyalty to their party candidate. That, however, cannot be mistaken for a Movement-wide endorsement.”