Former members of Peter Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign council have declared their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, announcing their adoption of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as their political platform.
The group, known as Batified Obidients, announced its decision at an international press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, saying its position followed an assessment of the 2023 presidential campaign, the Tinubu administration’s policies and the country’s economic direction.
The group’s National Coordinator, Adesina Fagbenro-Byron, a former member of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, said members had resolved to support Tinubu for a second term and extend their endorsement to Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
Fagbenro-Byron said the decision was informed by what the group described as the need to sustain ongoing economic and institutional reforms, arguing that the APC offered a platform through which its members could pursue their vision of good governance and sustainable development.
He said the group’s experience during Obi’s 2023 campaign had raised concerns about internal disagreements, the management of professional volunteers and the handling of diversity within the campaign structure.
According to him, members had invested their time, expertise and resources in Obi’s presidential ambition but later reconsidered their position after reflecting on their experiences.
“After months of honest reflection on what we witnessed from inside the campaign, the truth became impossible to ignore. We saw real weaknesses in how talent was mismanaged, how diversity was mishandled, and how internal conflicts went unresolved,” he said.
Fagbenro-Byron, however, acknowledged that the group’s decision did not represent the views of all Nigerians who supported Obi in 2023. He said the group respected those who had remained with the former Anambra State governor or chosen other political parties.
Explaining its support for Tinubu, the coordinator acknowledged that Nigerians continued to face economic hardship, including rising living costs, hunger, insecurity, corruption and inadequate access to essential public services.
He also expressed concern about the number of out-of-school children and the need to improve primary healthcare and education.
Despite these challenges, he said the group believed the administration’s economic reforms should be given more time to demonstrate their intended benefits.
Among the policies and initiatives cited by the group were the removal of the petrol subsidy, increased allocations to state and local governments, changes to electricity regulation, domestic fertiliser production and the student loan programme.
The group also pointed to the Supreme Court’s affirmation of local government financial autonomy and provisions allowing states to develop their own electricity markets under the Electricity Act.
Fagbenro-Byron argued that the reforms could help move Nigeria towards a production-based economy, although he acknowledged that their benefits had yet to be fully realised.
“The pain today is real. But the old road was not better. It was only hiding the problem and leading us deeper into perdition,” he said, defending the group’s decision to support the administration’s policy direction.
As part of its preparations for the 2027 general election, Batified Obidients said it would mobilise former campaign associates, undecided voters and other Nigerians who shared its governance objectives.
The group also pledged to establish a nationwide presence, register members, participate in political activities and work with other APC-aligned organisations to support Tinubu and the party.
Fagbenro-Byron said the movement would pay particular attention to states where opposition candidates defeated Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.
He added that the group intended to build a broader coalition that could attract people previously associated with opposition parties.
The coordinator said the name Batified Obidients reflected the group’s decision to retain its commitment to good governance while shifting its political allegiance to Tinubu and the APC.
Beyond its endorsement of the president, the group called on federal, state and local governments to establish a credible social register across all local government areas to improve the delivery of social intervention programmes to vulnerable Nigerians.
It argued that an accurate register would help ensure that government assistance reached those who needed it most.
The group also maintained that Nigeria’s economic challenges predated the 2023 general election and could not be resolved through a single electoral contest.
Its announcement marks a political realignment among individuals who previously worked within Obi’s 2023 campaign structure. However, the extent of the group’s membership and its ability to mobilise former campaign supporters for the APC were not established in the announcement.
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