Kennedy Iyere, a prominent figure in the Obidient Movement, has stated that contrary to public belief, former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi was not the originator of the movement that powered his 2023 election campaign. According to Iyere, the movement was the result of widespread grassroots mobilisation by everyday Nigerians who were frustrated with the political establishment and were seeking genuine change.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Friday, Iyere pushed back against the narrative that Obi created the Obidient Movement, asserting that it was the people who initiated and sustained the momentum—only later aligning with Obi as its political figurehead.
“There’s something I want to correct,” Iyere stated. “Peter Obi didn’t form the Obidient Movement. We formed, drove, funded, galvanised, and bequeathed it to him.
We promoted and projected it into the limelight. So he is the symbol. But the architect that actually drew up the whole of that plan, we were the ones. Nigerians who were not comfortable with the trend of things, who dared to challenge the status quo.”
Iyere explained that the movement had already begun before Obi left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Labour Party, noting that grassroots groups such as POSN and Take Back Naija were actively mobilising support and calling on Obi to step forward as a national reformist candidate.
“Obi was still in the PDP when we started calling out for him to come and take his place,” he said, emphasizing that the groundwork was laid by ordinary Nigerians long before the term “Obidient” became associated with Obi’s political brand.
While acknowledging that the movement gained visibility because of Obi’s candidacy, Iyere insisted it has since evolved into a broader civic force beyond any single political figure.
“It has translated itself from a democratic platform to a fanatical movement. Nigeria has a lot of good people who can come out. It must not be Obi,” he added.
Iyere also revealed that he does not intend to back Obi in any future elections.
“We gave Obi all the support he needed from us in 2023. For me, I’m not supporting him. I have my reasons. It’s a democracy,” he affirmed.
Additionally, Iyere criticized a recently announced coalition claiming to represent the Obidient Movement, dismissing it as unrepresentative of the movement’s original spirit and objectives.
“That coalition, for me, is not authentic,” he said.
Iyere’s remarks reflect ongoing tensions and differing perspectives within the movement as it grapples with its identity and future direction following the 2023 general elections.
