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Full statement: What Fani-Kayode said about Obidients
Who are these Obidients?
Let me make this clear from the outset. I am a member of the APC and a supporter of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
This contribution does not in any way derogate from that and my analysis is more of an academic and intellectual exercise than anything else.
I am NOT a supporter of Peter Obi and I have NO intention of becoming one. I am however interested on what his supporters represent and stand for and that is the subject of this essay.
They are worthy of my attention only because their rise and relevance in the political configuration of our nation, just in a matter of weeks, is meteoric and phenomenal.
In order to counter and defeat them or to keep them in their place we must at least attempt to understand them and figure out how their minds work.
The following are my findings.
Those that are the supporters of Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate, are known as ‘Obidients’ and they are EVERYWHERE.
Those of us in the larger political parties like the ruling APC and the opposition PDP, treat them with contempt and ignore them at our own peril.
The truth is that they are far more dangerous to our collective cause as a ruling class than many of us can possibly conceive or appreciate.
Only the discerning can appreciate this and know precisely where this whole thing may be heading.
They may not have structures or elected representatives in the legislative and executive arms of Government but they have IDEAS and VISION coupled with a clear ideological and philosophical bent which can and will endure for far longer than mere political platforms and structures.
Unknown to them as well as virtually everyone else, therein lies their power. As they say, an idea whose time has come cannot be stopped.
Long after we are all gone they will still be here because structures and political alliances rarely endure but IDEAS and VISION last forever.
“Again they will outlive and outlast us all because they are not a political party in the true sense of the word but rather a growing national movement which scales and spreads across ethnic, religious, political and regional lines and traditional boundaries.
They also represent a generational and paradigm shift which is increasingly attractive to many and they are bound tightly together by a common purpose, common cause and common objective: namely to rid Nigeria of the old order and usher in the new.
That is really what they want to do and that is the primary and strongest source of their inspiration and motivation.
They are far more dangerous to what the French describe as the ‘Ancien Regime’, the old political class and the entire system itself than anything we have ever seen before because most of them, bar their leader and a small handful of political tried and tested veterans and old war horses around him, are NOT politicians and have never ventured anywhere near the political arena or the circles of power.
In the main they are an innovatively aggressive and frightful array and association of angry and determined young men and women who clearly have the courage of their convictions coupled with the audacity, fury, daring, rage and firm resolve of those that were involved in the Endsars protesters and the fiery footsoldiers that effected the 1917 Russian Bolshevik revolution led by Vladimir Iliyich Lenin.
There is also something Rawlingesque and intimidating about them.
That is to say they are like the late, great and mighty son of Africa and leader of Ghana, President Jerry Rawlings, who also led a successful revolution in his country in 1979 and who, on his second coming in 1981 when he toppled yet another Government said, “if there is no justice there can be no peace!”
That is the spirit that is in the Obidients and that is what moves them.
Yet though they do not like to hear it their chances of winning the presidential election next year, short of a miracle, are very slim and deep down they all know it even if they refuse to publicly acknowledge it.
Despite that they are determined to fight to the end, hope for the best, work hard and give it their best shot and, of course, therein lies their victory.
In this game courage is the key. As they say, ‘he who dares wins’. Again as they say, ‘fortune favours the bold’ and these young people are both daring and bold.
That they can challenge the status quo and vie for the sacred and awesome power that has been shared by the two major political parties or their ancestral variants over the last 62 years is commendable in itself. I am not part of them but I certainly commend and applaud their efforts.
They too have a right to fight for their rights and future and to be heard. They too have a dream and a story to tell and we must never begrudge them that.
Yet if the truth be told they are not only interested in winning an election but, perhaps even more importantly, they are interested in making a profound and defiant statement, registering their protest against the status qou and the powers that be and triggering and engendering a full scale, comprehensive and all-embracing social, cultural and political revolution.
They want a real and fundamental change and not a fake one. They want to pull the whole house and system down with everyone in it and rebuild a new one in their own image, with their own values and on their own terms.
Most important of all they want to see the back of those of us that are in any way associated with the old order or that have been in Government or the corridors of power at ANY point in time over the last 62 years.
That desire and sentiment is the force that is driving and propelling them and that is kindling their fire and swelling their ranks.
They are like the Robspiers and the Marats of the bloody French revolution between 1789 and 1799 whose battle cry was “liberty, equality and fraternity”, who brought an end to the French monarchy, Royal family and nobility, chopped off their heads and established a proud and strong new order and proud Republic.
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Like Robspier’s tiny cabal of French revolutionaries they are led by a small cell of intellectual and idealistic hardliners and are bolstered, girded and supported by a volatile, massive and increasingly dangerous support group and power base who threaten violence and hurl insults at their perceived detractors at the drop of a hat and as a consequence of years of pent up anger and frustration.
If they ever get power many heads will roll and many of today’s and yesterday’s leaders will run into exile or go into hiding.
This is especially so of those who have something to hide or who have skeletons in their cupboards.
That is what makes them so threatening and I repeat, those of us that are in the larger political parties or that are members of the existing and ancient ruling class underestimate them, ignore them and display disdain for their firm resolve and rising anger at our own peril.
Most of my political associates, friends and colleagues across party lines tend to dismiss them with contempt.
They regard them as being inconsequential and argue that they only exist on social media. I beg to differ. I see them in the streets and I see them in the Churches.
I see them amongst my staff and amongst those that regard themselves as being amongst the oppressed and downtrodden. I see them amongst the professionals and those that are bankers, lawyers, doctors and artists.
I see them in the North, West, East and South. I see them everywhere and not only on social media.
I see them as being a very powerful and potent rising force which, if properly managed, will develop into a major political power over the next few years with a strong ideological and electoral foundation and massive structures.
That is the potential that they have and that is how dangerous they can be.
The sooner those of us that are in the larger political parties get off our high horses, display a little humility, try and understand their mindset, reach out to them, take them more seriously, appreciate their anger, restore their hope, make the necessary concessions and try and abate their rage and rising angst the better it will be for us all.
They may not have today but if we do not play our cards right they may end up having tomorrow. May God help us all.”
Police officers on Monday fired tear gas to disperse peaceful demonstrators gathered in Abuja’s Maitama district to protest worsening economic conditions, insecurity, and what they described as growing repression by the Nigerian government.
The protest, organized by the Take-It-Back Movement alongside other civil society groups, was part of a nationwide action.
It took place on the same day the Nigeria Police Force marked its National Police Day with a formal ceremony at Eagle Square.
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With the Three Arms Zone cordoned off for the police event—attended by high-ranking officials—security presence was heightened across the capital.
Protesters, however, assembled nearby, calling attention to what they see as the shrinking space for civil liberties and freedom of expression.
Carrying placards that read “Stop the Repression” and “Let Us Breathe,” the demonstrators included well-known activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore.
Leading the protest was Juwon Sanyaolu, National Coordinator of the Take-It-Back Movement, who outlined the group’s demands.
He cited the country’s rising inflation, widespread insecurity, and “a state of emergency” in Rivers State as urgent national concerns.
“We cannot continue to suffer in silence,” he said. “This action was necessary to draw attention to the suffering of the Nigerian people and the growing attempts to suppress dissent.”
Although the march began without incident, the situation quickly escalated when police operatives moved in with tear gas to break up the crowd. Protesters were seen fleeing the area as tension mounted.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or arrests at the time of this report.
The National Assembly complex, which was among the destinations the protesters planned to visit, was quiet due to the ongoing recess. Lawmakers are expected to resume on April 29.
Despite being cut short, protest leaders stood by the action, describing it as timely and essential.
“This action was necessary to draw attention to the suffering of the Nigerian people and the growing attempts to suppress dissent,” Sanyaolu emphasized.
Protesters in Lagos on Monday defied police warnings as they took to the streets to demonstrate against the rising threat of cybercrime and the perceived move toward emergency rule in Rivers State.
Organized by the Take It Back Movement (TIBM), the protest began at the popular Ikeja Under-Bridge, with demonstrators marching toward the Lagos State Government House and the State House of Assembly in Alausa.
The protest, which remained peaceful despite tight security presence, was held in exercise of the group’s constitutional right to peaceful assembly.
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The demonstration came just a day after the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, urged organizers to cancel the planned nationwide protest scheduled for April 7, 2025.
The date also marks the newly declared National Police Day.
In a statement issued on Sunday by Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, the police described the protest as “ill-timed,” alleging that it was intended to cast the Nigeria Police in a negative light.
“In line with global best practices in celebrating police institutions, the Nigerian Government has declared April 7 as National Police Day,” the statement read.
“The rationale behind staging a nationwide protest on the same day is questionable and perceived as a deliberate and unpatriotic act aimed at maligning the image of the Nigeria Police and the nation as a whole,” it added. “The Nigeria Police Force hereby advises the organizers to shelve the planned protest.”
Despite the appeal, TIBM pushed forward with its Lagos demonstration, maintaining that the protest was both timely and necessary.
The group’s National Coordinator, Juwon Sanyaolu, led the procession, which continued from Alausa toward Ojota and Gani Fawehinmi Park, where he was expected to address the crowd.
For many months, Nigeria’s most notorious terrorist mastermind, Turji Bello and several others of his kind have defied the deadline given by the service chiefs including the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Christopher Musa and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Olufemi Oluyede to neutralise or capture them in the bid to bring their reigns of bloodshed and destruction of lives and property to an end.
Amid what seemed like a spectacular failure by the Nigerian Service Chiefs and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to achieve these targets of neutralising Bello, the civil society organization, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has asked the Service Chiefs including the CDS, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the NSA to acknowledge publicly that they have collectively disappointed Nigeria by not neutralising or arresting Bello and other notorious terrorists and then bow out of their juicy offices since the wages of failure to actualise a mandate is an honourable exit.
The HURIWA’s position was contained in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko
The HURIWA also expressed shock and consternation that the Nigerian leader who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu jetted off to France, Europe, at a time when terrorists in their hundreds are staging religious ceremonies to commemorate the end of the year 2025 Ramadan fast and the Sallah.
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“Travelling to France on what the President calls ‘brief working visit’ makes no logical, tactical and good reputational sense because what will our president tell the French journalists if he is confronted with the viral videos of terrorists holding religious and social ceremonies in Nigeria whereby his primary constitutional duty is to provide security to the lives and property of Nigerians and to guarantee the welfare and well-being of the citizenry?”
The HURIWA stated that it is extremely disappointing that several months since the Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa categorically assured Nigerians that the reign of the notorious terrorist leader, Bello Turji would come to an end, the terror mastermind has rather reportedly hosted a grand Eid celebration in Magira, located in Isa Local Government Area (LGA) of Sokoto State, before leading an attack in Fadamar Lugu, where he and his gang killed 12 people and left one person injured on Tuesday.
The Rights group recalled that even 4 months back, on December 31st, 2024, the Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa appeared on a popular prime time network programme on Channels television and assured Nigerians for the umpteenth time that Turji Bello would be captured and that most of his affiliates have been neutralised. In February of this year, the CDS also told Nigerians that the terror mastermind Turji Bello is asking to surrender.
The HURIWA then wondered how come the terrorist leader is now holding open religious ceremony and even moving to another town where he killed 12 innocent members of the community just for fun.
The HURIWA quoted security analyst Bakatsine as disclosing the incident in a post on 𝕏 on Wednesday, revealing that Turji’s gathering in Magira was attended by fellow bandits from Zamfara State.
Following the festivities, the group proceeded to Fadamar Lugu, where they launched a brutal assault on innocent residents.
“Bandit leader Bello Turji hosted an Eid celebration in Magira, Isa LGA, with bandits from Zamfara State. After the feast, he moved to Fadamar Lugu in Isa LGA, Sokoto State, killing 12 people & injuring one person just for fun,” Bakatsine wrote.
Turji, one of Nigeria’s most wanted criminals, has been linked to numerous violent crimes, including mass killings, kidnappings, and raids across Sokoto and Zamfara States.
The HURIWA recalled that in a separate but alarming development, armed bandits operating in different parts of the country were seen on video performing Eid prayers at the conclusion of the 2025 Ramadan fast.
Counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama shared the footage on 𝕏 on Tuesday, April 1, revealing that the armed groups conducted prayers in two locations within Kaduna State.
Naijaonpoint understands that the prayers took place in Maidaro, Sabon Birni, and East Kaduna, deep within Dogon Dawa Forest.
The video footage reportedly showed the bandits armed with sophisticated weapons, including guns, drones, and mobile phones.
The HURIWA said for the fact that the Defence Chiefs including the Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede publicly gave timelines to definitely bring Turji Bello to justice or take justice to him and his many affiliates, the notorious terrorists leader Turji Bello has remained elusive and the Nigeria Army which is the largest in Africa has failed for half a year to capture just one terrorism kingpin just as the security forces are overwhelmed by sporadic terrorists attacks all across the Country.
The HURIWA noted that a tragic incident had unfolded in Delta State, where a man, Godwin Anuka, was brutally killed by suspected Fulani herders after being kidnapped alongside his wife and two children in the Ubulu-Uku area.
The shocking development was revealed by Harrison Gwamnishu, the Senior Special Assistant on Civil Society and Youth Mobilisation to the Delta State Governor, in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
According to Gwamnishu, the kidnappers had abducted two individuals on March 23, taking them into the bush while demanding ransom. However, in a heartbreaking turn of events, Anuka was murdered in the presence of his wife and children.
He noted that while the kidnappers were hiding in the bush with the two abducted victims, they saw Anuka alongside his wife and two underage children working on their farm.
The HURIWA said it is worrisome that top-flight security chiefs would publicly vow to achieve an objective and when they fail, they simply pretend like they did not publicly make any affirmation to neutralise Turji Bello. “They told us about 6 months back that Turji Bello’s threats to attack communities in Zamfara and Sokoto state was the last kick of a dying horse and that his end is imminent. Six months later, TURJI BELLO is not only operating unhindered, but he is killing civilians for fun and staging religious ceremonies covered by his affiliates who are deploying modern technology such as drones and sophisticated phones to record videos of the events and distributing them to social media platforms. This should be the reason for the failed service chiefs to take the most honourable step and resign forthwith so fresh service chiefs can be entrusted with the job of achieving the war on terror within the specified time frame.”
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Adeleke Felicitates Tinubu @73
