Egbokhare, Yunusa Inspire Call For Renewal At Oyo Obidient Gathering

Calls for political renewal and strategic preparation ahead of the 2027 general elections took centre stage on Saturday as members of the Obidient Movement gathered for the Oyo State Obidient Conference, themed “Going Forward: A New Nigeria is Possible.”

The event, which was held at the Empowerment Centre, Ring Road, Ibadan, attracted party faithful, political thinkers, and grassroots organisers from across the state.

Prof. Francis Egbokhare, a Professor of linguistics from the University Of Ibadan offered a candid assessment of Nigeria’s state of affairs and a roadmap for transformation.

“Nigerians are everywhere, but Nigeria is nowhere,” he began, describing the nation as “a giant lying prostrate, trampled by dwarfs, full of brilliant people but excelling in ignorance.”

He lamented that governance in Nigeria has become “motion without movement, spending without investment, and the rule of propaganda instead of the rule of law.”

He cautioned against shallow political gamesmanship, warning: “Confusing ways and means with strategy is a terrible error. Do not play a game you have neither mastered nor can control, change the game or change the rules.”

Egbokhare also stressed that political victory without a restructuring of the national mindset would merely repeat past failures.

“The first order of business is to restructure the mindset, because to win elections without it is to perpetuate the same failures,” he said.

He urged the movement to embed integrity in governance, create space for dissent, harness Nigeria’s talents, and build a framework for productivity and growth.

Highlighting deep-seated national challenges, insecurity, unemployment, corruption, ethnic agitations, and “the nationalisation of kidnapping as business”

He called for embedding empathy in decision-making and promoting a unifying national vision. “Good intentions are not enough,” he concluded. “We must plan well, execute with discipline, and love what we preach. Strategy is not optional, success must be summoned; it will not walk to us uninvited.”

In his address, Dr. Tanko Yunusa, National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, highlighted the relevance and necessity of the movement in Nigeria’s political space.

He dismissed rumours of Peter Obi defecting from the Labour Party, stating unequivocally: “For the point of clearance, Mr. Peter Obi is a member of the Labour Party. You know there are still issues in the Labour Party and INEC is yet to respond to them.”

“Even before joining the coalition, Mr. Peter Obi made it clear that he is going to run for the 2027 general elections, and the party has said they have exempted Peter Obi and others until the time they would formally join the coalition, as the case may be. He is not holding two cards, he is holding one card, and he belongs to the Labour Party.”

Yunusa also revealed Obi’s personal commitment to serve only one term if elected in 2027.

“If elected, he will give Nigeria a single term of purposeful leadership. A person who knows what he wants to do can cover the track in a short period of time. The majority of the problems can be solved in one year when you fix your attention on things that are necessary for human development, and he was able to do the same thing when he was Governor of Anambra State.”

“One term to set the tone, restore hope, and pass the baton to a leadership class that understands service,” he said.

He emphasized that the movement’s mission is not limited to electoral victory but includes promoting justice, fairness, empathy, and access to basic needs in governance.

“We are about ensuring that government is truly about the people,” Yunusa declared, urging members to see themselves as ambassadors of a vision rather than mere supporters of a candidate.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Oyo State Coordinator and convener, Comrade Ayo Akinyemi, explained that the gathering was a rallying point for Obidient members in Oyo State to align their vision and strategies for national change.

“We really want a change in Nigeria,” he said, noting that the country’s political and socio-economic problems will require collective determination to solve.

Akinyemi positioned Peter Obi as the credible leader capable of delivering this change, urging members to remain united and committed to the movement’s cause.