Obidient Motion finance director resigns, cites poor coordination

A contemporary disaster has hit the Obidient Motion, a political assist group that rallied behind Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, following the resignation of its Director of Finance, Dr Peter Agada.
Agada introduced his resignation on Wednesday at a press convention in Abuja, the place he additionally unveiled a brand new platform, The Motion Nigeria, signalling a possible shift within the post-2023 political coalition that powered Obi’s presidential bid.
He cited a scarcity of construction and coordination within the Obidient Motion as a motive for his resignation.
The Obidient Motion emerged as a youth-driven political drive through the 2023 elections, drawing power from the #EndSARS protests and widespread dissatisfaction with Nigeria’s political institution.
Nonetheless, issues over its organisational depth and sustainability have lingered for the reason that polls.
Explaining his resolution to step down, Agada instructed journalists in Abuja that it wasn’t executed out of grudges.
He mentioned, “I resigned my place because the Director of Finance of the Obidient Motion about three days in the past and despatched a letter to the headquarters that I used to be now not going to proceed in that function primarily based on all of the factors we’ve talked about right here.
“This assembly is being held right here at the moment as a result of it’s my facility. It’s the product of my hard-earned labour, and if I’m championing a brand new transfer, it must be in my home. In spite of everything, they are saying charity begins at house.
“I’m sorry to say that the shortage of construction (in Obidient Motion) doesn’t match with my persona and the best way I’ve grown as an architect of reputation for the final 30 years.
“They haven’t been informing me of conferences and actions for some time now. You possibly can think about a director of finance in an organisation not understanding the place or what is going on.”
Regardless of his exit, Agada declined to state whether or not he would proceed to assist Obi or align with different political actors forward of the 2027 elections, together with President Bola Tinubu.
“In essence, we’re not supporting one explicit individual. I mentioned it in my speech earlier. The Motion Nigeria will not be constructed on any persona. It’s not for Asiwaju, Obi or Atiku,” he acknowledged.
On his relationship with Obi, Agada clarified, saying it was business-like and never private, as many supposed.
“I’ve no private relationship with Mr Peter Obi. Obi has been right here on this constructing at some extent when the Large Tent had its retreat someday in July final yr. That was truly the second bodily contact I had with him.
“However I had operated as his Director of Finance for the Obidient Motion for greater than a yr now, and I carried out my perform as a lot as I may. And more often than not, supporting, personally talking.
“So, except for being his director of finance, I’ve no private relationship with him,” he defined.
Addressing questions on funding, Agada dismissed options of exterior sponsorship, insisting the brand new motion would depend on collective contributions.
He mentioned, “Any motion that’s being bankrolled by a person could be utterly shut down and destroyed by different people. This motion is presently being funded by a few of us seated right here at the moment. The funding construction is a democratised one and never by any huge man from someplace.
“So, there may be completely no person who’s funding Motion Nigeria. As a employee, are you content together with your takeover or welfare? In case you are not, then you ought to be a part of this motion as a result of it isn’t funded by a single particular person.”
Reacting, the Nationwide Coordinator of the Obidient Motion Worldwide, Dr Yunusa Tanko, expressed disappointment over Agada’s exit however downplayed its implications, noting that efforts have been underway to restructure the group.
He mentioned, “The actual fact is that we are attempting to revamp and restructure the motion. What we wish to do is to have a collegiate affair as a substitute of operating this sort of directorate factor the place any person will say he isn’t a part of this or that. So, the collegiate is what now we have now.
“Once more, it’s an electioneering yr. If political events and governors could be purchased by the moneybags, something can occur. A minimum of, we will now know who’s actual and who will not be.
“We don’t wish to be a part of points with Agada. So far as we’re involved, we’re nonetheless collectively. I’ve not had any grievance about him leaving or being kicked out.”
Tanko, who was Obi’s former marketing campaign director, additionally mentioned he was unaware of any formal resignation letter.
“I’ve not acquired something like that. As I mentioned earlier, we’re nonetheless collectively. But when he needs to run for the 2027 election, there isn’t any downside. It’s an election yr, and it’s anticipated that many individuals will transfer from one platform to a different.
“The Obidient Motion is a sacrifice. A few of us have been doing loads, however we selected to remain collectively until the tip.”
The event underscores rising inner tensions inside the Obidient Motion as political realignments forward of 2027 start to take form, elevating questions in regards to the cohesion and future course of certainly one of Nigeria’s most outstanding grassroots political coalitions.