As the 2027 general election approaches, the political circle around former Anambra Governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, has witnessed a series of departures, disagreements, and shifting political alliances involving some prominent figures who played significant roles in his 2023 presidential campaign.
The latest development is the defection of Dr Yunusa Tanko, former National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), where he has accepted an appointment as Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council of its presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo.
Tanko was one of the prominent figures in Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign and played a major role in coordinating the Obidient Movement, which became a significant force in the election.
His latest political move has brought renewed attention to the changing relationships between Obi and some of the individuals who helped build his political support base.
Among those who have either left his political camp, moved towards other political interests, or publicly disagreed with his political direction are his former running mate, Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed; former campaign director-general, Dr Doyin Okupe; actor and lawyer, Kenneth Okonkwo; former Anambra governorship candidate, Valentine Ozigbo; former Deputy Campaign Manager, Isaac Balami; Ndi Kato; and grassroots mobiliser, Serah Ibrahim.
Doyin Okupe
Late Okupe was the Director-General of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation during the 2023 general election.
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👉 JOIN GISTSMATE WHATSAPP CHANNELHowever, he resigned from the Labour Party in January 2024, citing ideological differences, and subsequently declared his support for President Bola Tinubu.
He also stated that his political relationship with Obi had ended following the conclusion of the 2023 presidential election.
Kenneth Okonkwo
Okonkwo was among the prominent voices who defended Obi and the Labour Party during the 2023 campaign.
The actor and lawyer, however, announced his departure from the Labour Party in 2024, expressing dissatisfaction with the party’s leadership and Obi’s handling of its internal crisis.
He subsequently became a vocal critic of the former Anambra governor’s political decisions while pitching his tent with Atiku Abubakar of the Action Democratic Congress (ADC).
Isaac Balami
Balami served as Deputy Campaign Manager of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation in 2023.
He later moved away from Obi’s political camp and aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC), openly declaring support for President Tinubu.
His political realignment marked another departure by a prominent member of the campaign team that mobilised support for Obi in 2023.
Valentine Ozigbo
Ozigbo, a former governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Anambra State, was also associated with Obi’s political movement.
The former governorship candidate subsequently moved away from Obi’s political camp in 2025, amid changing political alignments and disagreements over the direction of the Labour Party and the opposition.
Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed
Baba-Ahmed was Obi’s running mate on the Labour Party ticket in the 2023 presidential election.
Although their political partnership helped propel the Labour Party to national prominence, the former vice-presidential candidate has publicly expressed disagreements with aspects of Obi’s political direction and subsequent political decisions.
Their differing positions have generated discussions about the future of the political relationship that brought them together during the 2023 election.
Ndi Kato
Kato, a former member of Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign council, has also emerged as one of the prominent voices questioning the former governor’s political leadership.
Following Tanko’s defection to the SDP, Kato accused Obi of having a leadership deficit, arguing that the departure of individuals who previously worked closely with him raised questions about his management of political relationships.
Her comments added another dimension to the growing debate over the leadership and organisation of the political movement that supported Obi’s 2023 presidential ambition.
Serah Ibrahim
Ibrahim, a prominent grassroots mobiliser associated with the Obidient Movement, also attracted attention recently following her public endorsement of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s presidential ambition.
She featured prominently at the unveiling of Makinde’s policy manifesto, the Reset Agenda, under the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), where she introduced the governor and described him as the “most outstanding Nigerian on the ballot”.
Ibrahim also disclosed that she participated in developing the manifesto, which focuses on the economy, security, education and governance.
Her involvement in Makinde’s political project has raised questions about her political alignment ahead of 2027, particularly given her previous role in mobilising support for Obi.
However, she has not publicly announced a formal departure from the Obidient Movement. Obi had also previously dismissed speculation about a disagreement between them, describing her as his daughter.
Yunusa Tanko
Tanko’s departure is particularly significant because of his position as the former National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement and his involvement in Obi’s political mobilisation since the 2023 election.
He recently accepted an appointment as Director-General of the SDP Presidential Campaign Council under Adewole Adebayo, effectively moving into the campaign structure of another presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 election.
His defection has further fuelled discussions about the changing political relationships among key figures who were instrumental in Obi’s emergence as a major opposition contender in 2023.
Peter Agada
In March 2026, the Obidient Movement’s former Director of Finance, Dr Peter Agada, also resigned from his position.
Agada cited a lack of structure and coordination within the movement and subsequently unveiled a new political platform, The Movement Nigeria.
His departure added to concerns about the organisational challenges facing the support structure that emerged around Obi during the 2023 presidential election.
As the 2027 general election draws closer, the political choices of these former allies and campaign figures highlight the changing dynamics within the opposition.
While some have openly aligned with other political parties and candidates, others have expressed disagreements with Obi’s leadership or pursued independent political interests.
However, their individual decisions do not necessarily indicate a collective rejection of Obi’s political ambition, as the former governor continues to engage political stakeholders and supporters ahead of the next general election.
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