NEWS
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.”
Renewed tensions in the Middle East have seen crude prices push towards $100 per barrel riding on the back of US sanctions and a blockade of Iranian oil exports, which have escalated the Asian country’s economic woes.
Consequently, the Brent crude, the international benchmark, climbed to $97 per barrel on Thursday before declining to $95.50, as reported at Oilprice.com.
On its part, Reuters reported that the surge in oil prices came as Washington intensified its campaign to cut off Iran’s access to international financing and prevent the country from circumventing sanctions.
Three senior Iranian sources reportedly told Reuters that the latest measures were proving increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, with the country facing dwindling channels for securing foreign currency and importing essential goods.
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The pressure has also severely affected Iran’s oil exports.
Iranian crude loadings have fallen to about 260,000 barrels per day this month, from around 1.7 million bpd a year earlier, according to commodity analytics firm Kpler.
The development has raised fresh concerns over the impact of the sanctions on global oil markets, particularly as the conflict has disrupted energy supplies and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
While some energy continues to flow through the strategic waterway, the US blockade of Iranian oil exports has effectively cut off Tehran’s main source of revenue, Reuters reported.
Iran’s economic problems have been compounded by a sharp collapse in its currency and accelerating inflation. The rial has fallen from about one million rials to the dollar a year ago to more than 2.2 million rials currently.
Official figures put Iran’s 12-month average inflation at 69.9 percent, while prices of food, beverages and tobacco have risen at nearly twice that rate.
The squeeze has also affected Iran’s ability to maintain its sanctions-evasion networks, with front companies, unregistered tankers and smuggling operations becoming increasingly expensive.
The country’s trade has fallen by between 25 and 35 percent, with imports hit harder than exports, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has also disrupted a major channel for Iranian commerce, announcing on 19 August that all commercial exchange and financial dealings with Tehran had been halted until further notice.
These have plunged Iran’s domestic fuel situation into some sort of turbulence.
One senior Iranian source told Reuters that the country has only about two months’ supply of petrol, which it needs to import despite its domestic oil production because of limited refining capacity.
The deteriorating economic conditions are also placing severe pressure on Iranian households. Average monthly salaries are estimated at about $125, compared with basic household spending requirements of roughly $450, according to official data.
The economic squeeze comes as fighting between Iran and the United States has intensified, with attacks and retaliatory strikes raising fears of further disruption to oil supplies and shipping.
Leading economists, financial experts and industry stakeholders have described the Dangote Group’s investments as major drivers of industrialisation and economic transformation across Nigeria and Africa.
The experts cited the Group’s impact on job creation, import substitution, foreign exchange conservation and economic competitiveness.
They voiced their thoughts at the Lagos Economic Summit themed “The Real Deal: Africa’s Greatest Investment Opportunity,” where they urged governments to implement policies that strengthen local industries and accelerate economic diversification.
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), Samaila Zubairu, commended the Dangote Group’s sustained investments across Africa, describing them as critical to unlocking the continent’s economic potential.
He noted that while recent economic reforms have improved foreign exchange stability, strengthened reserves and eased inflationary pressures, the focus must now shift to growth in industry, productivity and employment.
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Also speaking, Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Muda Yusuf, said industrialisation remains the most effective path to sustainable economic development.
He called for better alignment of trade and industrial policies, stressing that local manufacturers require strategic support to compete effectively and drive broader economic benefits.
Founder and CEO of Nairametrics, Ugodre Obi-Chukwu, said Africa’s growing population presents a significant industrial opportunity, noting that investments such as the Dangote Refinery are helping to retain capital within the continent while strengthening local production capacity.
In his keynote address, Managing Director of Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Bismarck Rewane, said Nigeria is gradually transitioning from a consumption-led economy to one driven by investment and production.
He added that sustained investments in productive sectors will continue to stimulate growth, create jobs and improve living standards.
Participants at the summit also advocated stronger credit infrastructure, improved national identification systems and increased investment in skills development to enhance the productivity and global competitiveness of Africa’s growing youth population.
Photo Caption: From Left – Chief Economist, Dangote Industries Limited, Dr. Hassan Mahmud; Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru; Chairman of Occasion/Special Guest of Honour, Samaila Zubairu; Key Note Speaker Session 1, Bismarck Rewane; during the Real Deal: Africa’s Greatest Investment Opportunity, Sponsored by Dangote Industry Limited in Lagos on Thursday 3, September 2026.
President Bola Tinubu has assured journalists that they have nothing to fear from his administration for criticising or attacking him, reaffirming his commitment to press freedom.
Tinubu gave the assurance on Thursday in Abuja during the centenary celebration of the Daily Times and the unveiling of the Nigerian Grand Book and Times Heroes Awards.
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The President, who was represented at the event by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, said the media remained essential to Nigeria’s development, accountability and preservation of the country’s history.
He said his administration was committed to the constitutional freedom of the press, stressing that journalists should be able to scrutinise government without fear of retaliation.
The President stated that under his administration, Nigerians could criticise or attack him without expecting government officials to retaliate against them.
Tinubu also used the occasion to emphasise the importance of preserving Nigeria’s history.
He said the Nigerian Grand Book would enable Nigerians to document the country’s story from their own perspective and preserve important institutional memories for future generations.
According to him, understanding the nation’s past would help Nigerians learn from previous successes and failures while building a stronger future.
Adesina Urges Nigerians to Build on Existing Foundations
Delivering the keynote address, former President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, said nation-building was a continuous process that required contributions from successive generations.
Adesina noted that no country could be built by one individual or a single administration, stressing the importance of leadership that leaves stronger foundations for those who come after.
He also called for unity of purpose among Nigerians, saying the country’s diversity should be harnessed toward building a prosperous future.
Daily Times Honours Nigerians
The centenary celebration also featured the Times Heroes Awards, with prominent Nigerians receiving recognition for their contributions to society.
The Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, received the Community Impact Award, while Adesina received the Global Impact Award.
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ThisDay, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, was honoured with the Media Icon of the Decade Award.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, received the Minister of the Decade Award, while APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, was named Politician of the Year.
Several state governors and lawmakers were also recognised at the event.
The celebration marked 100 years of the Daily Times and highlighted the newspaper’s longstanding role in Nigeria’s media history and national development.
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