Obi Under Fire As Founding Member Warns LP Movement Is Drifting

A fresh dispute has broken out within the Obidient Movement after one of its earliest organisers accused Peter Obi of trying to take charge of a structure he did not build or finance.

The claim was made by Marcel Ngogbehei, founding chairman of the Coalition for Peter Obi, in a detailed essay reacting to the resignation of key mobiliser Morris Monye.

Ngogbehei said Monye’s exit exposed long-running frustration among volunteers who felt abandoned and unsupported despite carrying the bulk of the work since the movement began ahead of the 2023 elections. He recalled that the early mobilisation—rallies, logistics, and nationwide outreach—was driven by independent support groups long before Obi joined the Labour Party. According to him, those efforts were funded by ordinary Nigerians, not by the former presidential candidate.

He pointed to milestones such as the One Million Man March and the first Obidient Leadership Summit, which he said were entirely volunteer-funded. Even the Global Obidient March in February 2023, which drew massive crowds locally and abroad, was organised without central financing. Many volunteers, he added, still carry debts from those activities.

Ngogbehei noted growing anger over Obi’s decision in 2024 to appoint new coordinators for the movement without consulting the groups that built its foundation. He argued that the appointments did not reflect the breadth of the movement and deepened mistrust among long-time organisers. He also raised concerns about the handling of donations reportedly managed by individuals close to Obi.

He stressed that the movement has survived on unpaid labour, passion, and sacrifice rather than structured support. He warned that without transparency, clear values, and democratic leadership, the movement risks drifting away from its grassroots identity.

Ngogbehei urged members to reclaim control by returning to volunteer-led structures and adopting open systems for selecting leaders and managing funds. He insisted the movement can still recover if it reconnects with its original purpose and remains owned by the people who built it.

He concluded that the Obidient Movement may be wounded but remains capable of renewal if its founders and volunteers steer it back to its early, community-driven ethos.