A fresh leadership crisis has erupted within the Obidient Movement following the announcement by a factional group claiming to have expelled the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, alongside some prominent officials of the movement.
The faction, which addressed journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, 6th May, 2026 through its leader, Dr. Barry Avotu Johnson, declared that the original Obidient Movement had been dissolved and replaced with a rebranded structure known as the “OBEDIENT Movement.”
According to the group, the decision became necessary after what it described as the “hijack” of the movement’s ideals and objectives following the 2023 general elections.
Speaking during the briefing, Johnson alleged that the movement’s founding principles were no longer being represented by those who currently control its affairs.
He stated that the faction had formally withdrawn recognition and membership status from Obi and several leading figures associated with the movement, insisting that they remained expelled from both leadership and membership positions.
The faction also announced that it was severing ties with the Labour Party and would operate independently ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“We are repositioning the movement to reflect its original ideology and purpose,” Johnson reportedly stated during the media briefing.
The group, however, said it had not endorsed any candidate or political platform for the next presidential election.
The development has since generated mixed reactions among supporters of Obi, many of whom dismissed the declaration as illegitimate and lacking constitutional backing.
Several loyalists of the former Anambra State governor argued that the Obidient Movement remains largely identified with Obi’s political ideology and grassroots support base, insisting that no recognised leadership structure had authorised such an expulsion.
Political observers say the latest development may further expose internal divisions among supporters of the former presidential candidate as political realignments gradually begin ahead of the 2027 elections.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Obi nor top officials named by the faction had issued an official response to the claims.
