The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, has attributed the wave of political realignment currently sweeping Nigeria’s opposition to what he described as deliberate government infiltration of party structures, sustained legal attacks on opposition platforms, and factional disputes that had left major parties unable to provide stable environments for credible candidates.
Tanko said the instability affecting the Labour Party, the Social Democratic Party, and the African Democratic Congress had made realignment not just predictable but necessary for candidates seeking platforms capable of surviving through to the 2027 election cycle without being derailed by court orders or internal implosion.
He defended Peter Obi’s movements across party platforms as principled responses to structural instability rather than opportunism, noting that Obi left the Labour Party for the ADC in early 2026 following leadership tussles and legal disputes, before moving to the Nigeria Democratic Congress in May 2026 after alleging that orchestrated litigation was being used to destabilize his 2027 candidacy. He made similar observations about Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, saying legal battles within the ADC had forced the shift to the NDC to secure a viable and legally stable platform for their joint presidential ticket.
Tanko cited recent Supreme Court rulings as evidence supporting the movement’s claims about interference in party structures, and pointed to the reinstatement of a rival SDP chairman as further illustration of how judicial interventions were disrupting party stability at multiple levels. He said the NDC offered a cleaner platform with fewer factional complications ahead of INEC submission deadlines, making it the logical destination for a coalition seeking operational clarity.
