The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, has declared that the time has come for Peter Obi to lead Nigeria, insisting that 2027 is “Obi’s turn” to take over the presidency. Tanko, who spoke during a televised interview on Naija Unfiltered Podcast by Symfoni, revealed the former Labour Party presidential candidate will contest the next general election and may switch political platforms if the dynamics require it.
Tanko, a long-time political activist and one of Obi’s closest allies during the 2023 campaign, argued that political realities are shifting rapidly. He stated that while Obi remains a member of the Labour Party for now, nothing stops him from joining another party “within a minute” if that is the most viable route to victory. According to him, Obi’s priority is rescuing Nigeria, not loyalty to any political structure that cannot deliver reform.
Clarifying his earlier remarks that the North should wait until 2031 before producing another president, Tanko said his comments were not meant to antagonize the region but to highlight how northern Nigerians have not benefited from decades of political dominance. He noted that Obi’s agricultural blueprint offers the North its best chance at sustainable prosperity, using the zone’s vast arable land to drive national productivity.
Tanko also addressed ongoing discussions about a coalition with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying Obi’s reference to “gray areas” during their meeting had nothing to do with personal interest but with building a stronger front capable of defeating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He stressed that merging parties is not the immediate priority—mobilizing credible Nigerians who want genuine change is.
The Obidient leader dismissed claims that Obi lacks political desperation, arguing that Obi is deeply driven to fix Nigeria, not desperate in the negative sense often associated with politicians seeking power for selfish ends. He emphasized that the movement is stronger today than it was in 2023, with deeper penetration across Nigeria, including northern states once written off as difficult terrain.
Tanko likened the movement to historical revolutions that were built by a committed few before becoming mass expressions of people’s hunger for change. According to him, betrayals and fatigue are normal in political struggles, but the core of the Obidient Movement remains intact and is growing aggressively.
He revealed that the movement has submitted a detailed electoral reform proposal to the National Electoral Reform Committee, capturing loopholes that undermined the 2023 general elections. The document calls for real-time electronic transmission of results, diaspora voting, and strict penalties for lawmakers who defect from the parties that elected them. He expressed disappointment that the National Assembly does not appear eager to pass these reforms.
Tanko also criticized the Tinubu administration’s handling of Nigeria’s security and economy. He said the government’s claim of progress does not match the lived realities of citizens who now travel with fear, pray before journeys, and struggle with increasing hunger and poverty. He questioned how bandits operating in forests secure sophisticated weapons and insisted that international intelligence agencies know the supply sources, which the government must urgently confront.
On the economy, he said Nigeria cannot revive the naira through monetary policies alone. Instead, the country must unlock productivity from all 774 local governments, especially through agriculture. According to him, this is where Obi’s governance philosophy stands out—centering development on production rather than consumption.
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He raised concerns about rising authoritarian tendencies, warning that the country’s governance structure is drifting toward what he described as a “kangaroo system” driven by unilateral decisions rather than constitutional processes. He urged Nigerians to stand firm in defending democracy and preventing further erosion of institutional credibility.
Tanko concluded by reaffirming the readiness of the Obidient Movement for 2027. He said that while political parties are the vehicles, the mission is bigger than any platform. “It is Obi’s turn,” he insisted. “And Nigeria deserves a leader who is desperate for the country to work, not desperate for power for its own sake.”
