Peter Obi and the Obidient Movement: A Hope for New Nigeria -By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

As the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) prepares for the next 2027 presidential elections, the Obidient Movement is increasingly gaining weight into Nigeria politics, crafting a remarkable consensus among the youth and elites within the multi-ethnic population, estimated at 230 million. Obidient Movement has carried, in its fold, political integrity and public trust, intertwined with diplomacy. Obidient Movement creates an opportunity, and additionally an environment for raising greater influence and relationships abroad, while striving to improve complex issues relating to development, investment and economic profiles.

In an in-depth interview, Professor Maurice Okoli, an economist and research fellow associated with the Russian Academy of Sciences (including the Institute for African Studies and IMEMO) as well as an expert with the Valdai Discussion Club, breaks down the contemporary political landscape through research-driven explanatory facts, and concludes that Nigeria’s ethnic heterogeneity could make for a deep harmonization, pursue a better economic architecture, and reposition Nigeria as an economic power in the West African region and on the continent under the forthcoming Peter Obi’s presidency. Here are the interview excerpts:

As a member of the Obidient Movement, what was your political background before Peter Obi entered the Presidential race?

Professor Maurice Okoli: Before Peter Obi entered the presidential race, my political background was shaped by a combination of academic expertise, formal party politics, diaspora leadership, and international engagement.

As a professor of geopolitics and international economics, I had developed a strong analytical understanding of international relations, political systems, economic policy, and the strategic forces shaping Nigeria’s position in the global community. My academic background allowed me to examine Nigeria’s political development not only from a domestic perspective but also through the broader lenses of international affairs, economic cooperation, global strategy, and diaspora engagement.

Within Nigerian party politics, I was actively involved with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), where I served as Chairman of PDP Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. That position gave me direct experience working within a formal political organization. I was involved in coordinating party members, engaging stakeholders, mobilizing support, representing the party’s interests within the Nigerian community in Russia, and liaising with relevant Russian institutions.

At the same time, I served as President of the Nigerian Community in Russia. That responsibility was broader than party politics, as I was representing Nigerians in the diaspora. It exposed me directly to the challenges Nigerians faced abroad and strengthened my experience in community organization, representation, advocacy, conflict resolution, and bringing people together around common interests.

I also served as Vice President of the Russian-African Diaspora Foundation. This position broadened my perspective beyond Nigerian politics and the Nigerian community. It allowed me to engage with the wider African diaspora, build relationships across national and cultural boundaries, and promote cooperation between African communities and Russian institutions.

So, before Peter Obi became a presidential candidate, my experience had developed across four interconnected areas: formal Nigerian party politics, academic and professional expertise in geopolitics and international economics, Nigerian diaspora leadership, and broader African diaspora engagement.

My decision to support Peter Obi was therefore a deliberate political choice, rather than the beginning of my political involvement. I believed he represented an opportunity to build a different kind of political movement—one that could combine popular participation with competent leadership, institutional reform, economic development, and a stronger connection between Nigerians at home and Nigerians in the diaspora.

In that sense, my support for Peter Obi grew naturally out of the experiences I had accumulated over many years: understanding political institutions, engaging communities, analyzing international economic and geopolitical realities, and working to connect Nigerians and Africans across borders.

You had already occupied a significant political position in Russia, as the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). What was it about Peter Obi personally and politically that convinced you that this was someone worth abandoning your previous political trajectory for and, more importantly, worth putting your own money, reputation, relationship, and political capital?

Maurice Okoli: Let me put it this way: what made me support Peter Obi was the same thing that persuaded many Nigerians to reconsider their political alignment when he emerged as the Labour Party’s presidential candidate. For me, it wasn’t simply the excitement around a new political movement. It was a conviction that I was looking at someone whose character, record, and philosophy were remarkably consistent.

My decision to support Peter Obi was publicly reported on 21 October 2022 in Vanguard and several other major newspapers, including under the headline, “PDP Chairman, Russian, Backs Peter Obi.” But the decision itself went much deeper than the headlines.

What struck me most was the consistency between the man, his record in public office, and what he was saying on the campaign trail. I saw someone who understood that leadership is not about the excitement or prestige of vying for office. It is about accepting the enormous responsibility that comes with holding public office.

I was attracted to his discipline. I was attracted to his emphasis on competence. I was particularly attracted to his understanding of public resources—not as something that belongs to politicians or as an entitlement that comes with office, but as something held in trust for the people.

Most importantly, I believed he genuinely understood the seriousness of Nigeria’s problems. He did not appear to approach leadership as an opportunity for personal aggrandizement. His ambition seemed subordinate to his sense of responsibility. That distinction mattered enormously to me.

What ultimately convinced me was that Peter Obi’s political philosophy appeared consistent with how he had conducted himself in public life. His approach to governance was rooted in competence, accountability, prudence, and the belief that government exists to serve the people.

And that gave me something concrete to examine. I did not make my decision solely based on campaign promises or political rhetoric. I could look at his record, his decisions, his conduct in office, and the principles he had demonstrated over time.

Politically, I eventually came to believe that supporting Peter Obi was bigger than supporting one individual. It was about supporting a different political culture—a culture in which competence should matter more than patronage; where public resources should be treated as a trust rather than a political entitlement; where accountability should be expected, not negotiated; and where leadership should ultimately be judged by what it delivers for ordinary Nigerians.

That was what made the decision consequential for me. I was prepared to put my own money, reputation, relationships, and political capital behind him because I believed the stakes were bigger than my personal political interest. I believed that Nigeria needed a different standard of leadership, and I believed Peter Obi represented, at that moment, the strongest expression of that alternative.

In the end, my support was not based on the belief that Peter Obi was perfect, as imperfection is the limitation of all human beings. It was based on the conviction that he possessed the will, competence, discipline, and capacity to confront the seriousness of Nigeria’s challenges—and, equally important, that his record gave me sufficient reason to trust that conviction.

For me, that was the point at which political loyalty became secondary to national responsibility.

In supporting Peter Obi, who were the people, organizations, and the institutions you brought into Peter Obi’s support ecosystem?

Maurice Okoli: In supporting Peter Obi through the Obedient movement, particularly from the diaspora, I deliberately worked to bring influential individuals, institutions, organizations, professional networks, media personalities, and business stakeholders into what I came to regard as a broader international support ecosystem for Peter Obi.

My objective went beyond simply generating votes or political support for Peter Obi. I wanted to build an international network that could build awareness, credibility, advocacy, and meaningful relationships around his candidacy, while also opening channels that could potentially strengthen Nigeria’s international relationships in diplomacy, trade, investment, business, media, and people-to-people engagement.

I therefore sought out individuals, institutions, and organizations whose influence extended beyond Nigerian politics and who could contribute to a broader international understanding of Peter Obi’s candidacy and vision for Nigeria. Institute for African Studies, Academy of Sciences, Russia, which has hosted many African presidents, was excited about Peter Obi’s profile and vision,

One of the people I introduced into this ecosystem was Mrs. Damila Tasmagambetova, a well-known media personality in Russia. The proprietor and editor-in-chief of Caravan Info news agency. After I introduced her to Peter Obi and she had the opportunity to listen to some of Obi’s speeches and understand his political vision, she became deeply interested and passionate about Peter Obi’s candidacy.

She subsequently became an important channel for increasing awareness of Peter Obi in Russia and across the Commonwealth of Independent States. His involvement helped to give Peter Obi greater visibility within Russian and wider CIS media and social circles, allowing people who might otherwise have had little exposure to Nigerian politics to become familiar with Obi, his background, and his message.

Another significant individual whom I brought into the ecosystem was a member of the Russian Duma. After becoming familiar with Peter Obi’s profile and his political vision, he expressed considerable enthusiasm for his candidacy and discussed the possibility of forming an informal committee to promote Peter Obi’s election as President of Nigeria.

What particularly impressed him was the possibility that an African political leader could represent a different approach to governance and development. He viewed supporting Obi not merely as participation in another country’s election, but also through the broader lens of supporting Africa’s development and challenging what he regarded as continuing forms of neocolonial influence on the continent.

His involvement became particularly valuable because of the relationships he was able to facilitate with Russian business interests, non-governmental organizations, professional networks, and other stakeholders. These relationships expanded the scope of the ecosystem beyond electoral advocacy and created opportunities for conversations about Nigeria’s future international partnerships.

Another important person attracted by Peter Obi’s profile was Professor Zenebe Kinfu from Ethiopia, President of the African-Russian diaspora organization. After reviewing Peter Obi’s background, profile, and political vision, Professor Kinfu became actively involved in promoting and supporting his candidacy. He is eager to visit Nigeria to meet Peter Obi

His involvement was significant because it brought an established African-focused diaspora network into the broader ecosystem. It demonstrated that interest in Peter Obi was not confined to Nigerians abroad; his candidacy could also resonate with wider African communities interested in the continent’s political and economic development.

I also engaged with the Russian Chamber of Commerce and the Moscow Chamber of Commerce, not simply from the immediate perspective of the presidential election, but with a longer-term vision. I wanted to explore the possibility that a Peter Obi presidency could create new opportunities for trade, investment, business partnerships, technology transfer, and stronger economic relations between Nigeria and Russia. Their members were inspired by Peter Obi’s profile and vision.

This was an important aspect of my approach. I did not see the diaspora campaign solely as an electoral exercise. I saw it as an opportunity to begin developing relationships that could potentially become useful to Nigeria beyond the election itself.

Other organizations worth mentioning are Nigerians in Diaspora Russia, Nigerian community Russia, and the African community Russia, whose involvement contributed to the broader mobilization and coordination of Nigerians and Africans within the Russian diaspora.

In addition to these individuals, several other influential personalities, professional diaspora groups, civil society organizations, business networks, media platforms, and community organizations were connected to the Obedient movement through these efforts. They are too numerous to mention individually, but collectively they formed an important part of the international network that developed around Peter Obi’s candidacy support ecosystem.

The ecosystem was therefore deliberately multidimensional.

Political actors provided advocacy and access. Media personalities created visibility and public awareness. Diaspora organizations mobilized communities and provided networks of support. African diaspora leaders broadened the movement’s continental reach. Business and commerce organizations opened conversations around investment, trade, and economic cooperation. Professional organizations and civil society networks provided additional platforms for engagement and credibility.

This approach reflected my broader understanding of diaspora politics. Nigerians abroad should not be viewed merely as a source of electoral support or remittances. The diaspora possesses intellectual capital, professional expertise, international relationships, institutional access, business networks, and political influence that can be strategically deployed in the national interest.

My role, therefore, was not simply to campaign for Peter Obi. I sought to connect people and institutions that could help amplify his message while simultaneously creating relationships that could potentially serve Nigeria’s broader interest. In all my activities with Peter Obi and the Obedient movement, I worked closely with Valentine Ozigbo, who was the special adviser to Peter Obi.

Did Peter Obi and the Obidient Movement adequately understand how to communicate with foreign governments, diplomatic institutions, international media, investors and the Nigerian diaspora?

Maurice Okoli: Peter Obi had an excellent international outreach in 2022-2023. Peter Obi held a consultation with Nigerians abroad, spoke at Harvard, discussed foreign policy, diaspora remittances, foreign investment, and said it loud and clear that the diaspora was very important to Nigeria’s future. The movement fully understands the importance of international government engagement. He engaged the international community. He also recognizes the importance of diaspora remittances and foreign investment. However, for the election of 2027, Peter Obi and the Obedient movement should understand that several different audiences need different messages, such as foreign governments, foreign investors, diaspora organizations, global Nigerian professionals, international journalists, democracy and human rights organizations, international financial institutions, embassies and high commissions in Nigeria, and international organizations. For the 2027 election, I would advise that the Obidient movement establish a professional diplomatic and geopolitical team with a focus on Africa and ECOWAS, the United Kingdom and Europe, the United States and Canada, the Middle East and Asia, international financial institutions, foreign investment, international media, and diaspora affairs. This team will ensure that foreign governments and international institutions have accurate, timely, and truthful information about Nigeria’s electoral process. One of the most important things is that the Obidient movement should understand that in our world today, there is a small group of people who influence or determine what happens in it. This small group of people is very powerful, and they are sometimes called international decision makers, or global decision makers. It is unimaginable the level of insanity this small group of people is willing to exhibit to protect their interests, including influencing the result of an election. There is no doubt that Nigeria, as one of the largest economies in Africa, falls within the area of their interest economically and geopolitically. Peter Obi and the Obidient movement should find a way to have a confidential diplomatic engagement and quiet diplomacy with them.

Something significant happened in the 2023 election. What is it that happened that Nigerians are still discussing it until today?

Maurice Okoli: Something genuinely new happened in the history of Nigerian elections in 2023, and it is important to acknowledge just how extraordinary and phenomenal the Obedient movement was.

Peter Obi, together with the Obedient movement, took what was initially a relatively small Labour Party and transformed it into a national political movement in an extraordinarily short period of time. Whatever political interpretation one may attach to the outcome of the 2023 election, there is no denying that Peter Obi and the movement achieved something significant. Peter Obi and the obedient won the election but were rigged out by the establishment.

For many Nigerians, particularly young Nigerians, Peter Obi represented something they had been looking for: a politician they could identify with and a political alternative built around accountability, honesty, competence, and a rejection of the traditional political establishment.

People who had never previously participated in public or electoral politics suddenly became deeply engaged. They began discussing politics, attending rallies, organizing their communities, mobilizing others, and contributing their time and resources to a political cause. That level of spontaneous engagement was unprecedented in modern Nigerian politics.

I say this not as an outsider looking in, but as someone who was part of the movement. Like many other Obedients, I put my own resources behind it. We invested financially, emotionally, and personally because we genuinely believed that Peter Obi represented an opportunity to change the direction of Nigerian politics.

The importance of the Obedient movement therefore goes beyond the final electoral numbers or the political arguments surrounding the 2023 result. Its greatest achievement was demonstrating what was possible.

It proved that Nigerians were hungry for something different. It proved that young Nigerians could become politically engaged and mobilized on a scale that the traditional political parties had underestimated. And it demonstrated that a political movement could emerge from ordinary citizens, social networks, and grassroots enthusiasm rather than being built entirely through the established structures of Nigerian politics.

Whatever one’s political position may be today, the Obedient movement was one of the defining political phenomena of the 2023 Nigerian election. It changed the conversation, brought a new generation into political participation, and showed that there is a substantial constituency of Nigerians who want accountability, competence, integrity, and a fundamentally different kind of politics.

What happened in the 2023 election, and what did believe must be done differently in the upcoming 2027 Nigerian election?

Maurice Okoli: I believe the 2023 presidential election was a wake-up call for the Obedient movement, particularly for those who had assumed that winning an election was simply a matter of mobilizing voters and turning up on election day. In Nigeria’s style of democracy, an election is like going to battle or war, unlike what is obtainable in other countries. In Nigeria’s style of democracy, the most important battle is before the election and on election day. Any other time is too late. The obedient movement should not go into an election with the mindset to win the election, and if they still it goes to court. It is a wrong mindset because those who still win the election also capture the court. In a situation where the ruling party controls the security forces, intimidates voters, and controls the election machinery, the court cannot be relied upon. The only option here is for the obedient movement and Nigerian of good conscience to, by all lawful means, protect every single vote. And make it practically impossible to manipulate and alter the result of the election. The 2023 experience exposed serious weaknesses in our electoral process, and I believe important lessons have been learned by the Obedient movement. The approach to the coming electoral cycle must therefore be fundamentally different—especially in protecting the integrity of every vote and ensuring that the people’s mandate is not subverted.

If they bring it to the mud in the process of protecting the integrity of every vote. Do not be afraid; rather, help them to add cement to make the mud stick.

For revolution to take place, there must be a revolutionary situation, and for new Nigeria to come, there must be a new Nigerian situation. The new Nigerian situation is here, and it is now or never.

I had raised this concern before the 2023 election. In an article I published in major Nigerian newspapers, including Vanguard and The Guardian, on 9 October 2022, I warned the Obedient movement that the APC and the opposition party PDP were highly organized political machines and that they should not underestimate the lengths to which an established political structure could go to protect its interests. My argument was simple: political enthusiasm and popular support were not enough. The movement needed to be organized, vigilant, and strategically prepared to protect every vote. And that the whole strategy should be designed and built on the assumption that any of the actors, such as ruling party APC, other opposition parties, electoral officials, or security officials, could attempt to manipulate and alter the result of the election. Unfortunately, the reaction I received to that warning suggested to me that many people within the movement did not fully appreciate the nature of the political contest they were entering. What happened in 2023 demonstrated the consequences of that lack of preparedness not only to vote but to protect the vote. The rest, as they say, is history.

INEC must organize a free, credible, fair, verifiable, peaceful, and transparent election. If they do not know how to do it, the Obedient Movement will teach them. And if they fail to learn, the Obedient Movement should lawfully force them to learn.

Election rigging and manipulation must stop in Nigeria at all costs. It is very shameful and disgusting to watch the election process in Nigeria. Election rigging and manipulation create a dangerous incentive for politicians and political parties. If politicians believe they can remain in power by rigging and manipulating elections rather than serving the public, they will have fewer reasons to listen to the citizens; instead of working hard to earn people’s trust, they may focus on finding ways to protect their position. This is why election rigging and manipulation should be treated as a grave attack on democracy

A country becomes stronger when politicians know that the only dependable way to remain in power is to serve the people. That is the real power of free, fair, and transparent elections.

What will happen if Ahmed Bola Tinubu wins the upcoming presidential election?

Maurice Okoli: If Tinubu wins the 2027 presidential election through a peaceful, credible, transparent, free, and fair election, I will heartily congratulate him, because a free and fair election is the foundation upon which a democratic society is built. It is the mechanism through which citizens exercise their fundamental right to determine who governs them, and that process must remain absolutely free of corruption.

There are many things that may happen, which I would not wish to speculate about here. But there is one thing I am certain will happen: in view of the kompromat on  Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his efforts to prevent that kompromat from being made public, by the time he completes his four-year second-term presidency, Nigeria will have become like a corporation or limited liability company, with shares and shareholders, where the majority of the shares and shareholders will belong to foreign interests.

That would be something far worse than colonialism and neocolonialism combined.

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