Supporters of the former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, under the banner of the “Obidient” movement, have appealed to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to drop his presidential ambition and support Obi as the preferred candidate for the 2027 presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The appeal was made on Saturday during a massive rally in Umuahia, held to mark Mr Obi’s 64th birthday.
The rally, tagged the “One Million-Man March for Obi,” took place simultaneously in Umuahia, Aba, Ohafia, and Uzuakoli in Abia State.
Speaking at the Umuahia leg of the rally, the Abia State Chairman of the Organising Committee and coordinator of the Obidient movement, Chibuzor Obiesili, called on Atiku and other key opposition leaders to make a strategic sacrifice by rallying behind Obi in the spirit of national unity and political expediency.
Obiesili praised the recent moves by opposition figures to form a coalition against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), noting that Obi possesses the national appeal needed to galvanise widespread support across the country.
“We thank those behind the formation of the opposition coalition,” Obiesili said.
“We appeal that the coalition should consider Peter Obi as its presidential flagbearer because he has the credibility and nationwide appeal needed to uproot the ruling APC.”
He urged Atiku, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, to demonstrate statesmanship by stepping aside and backing Obi’s candidacy under the ADC banner.
“Atiku has tried his best for Nigeria,” Obiesili continued.
“But his greatest act of patriotism would be to support Peter Obi for the ADC presidential ticket in 2027. This will be a defining moment for the opposition and a big leap forward for Nigeria.”
The Obidient movement used the rally not only to celebrate Obi’s birthday but also to reaffirm their commitment to his political ideology and national reform agenda.
Obiesili described Obi as a consistent voice for the downtrodden and a leader with the capacity to address Nigeria’s pressing socio-economic challenges.
“Peter Obi remains the only candidate who speaks to the real needs of ordinary Nigerians. His passion for equity, accountability, and economic revival makes him the right choice for 2027,” he added.
As Nigeria edges closer to the 2027 general elections, conversations around opposition unity, zoning, and credible candidacies are gaining momentum.
The Obidients’ latest call adds to the growing political discourse surrounding possible alignments ahead of the polls.
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