The Labour Party has renamed its ‘Directorate of OBIDIENT Affairs’ to the ‘Directorate of Mobilisation and Integration’. This change was announced in a statement on the party’s website on Thursday, signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh.
Ifoh stated, “Following the controversies arising from the creation of the Directorate of OBIDIENT Affairs, the Directorate is hereby renamed the Directorate of Mobilisation and Integration. The inauguration will take place on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at the party’s National Secretariat, Utako, Abuja, at 10 am.”
In May, the LP’s National Working Committee, led by Julius Abure, established the directorate to manage the affairs and interests of the Obidient Movement within the party. Abure warned that the ruling elite and suspected saboteurs might have infiltrated the movement, potentially undermining the party’s efforts.
Abure assured that the directorate would operate independently, with decision-making power resting solely with the members of the Obidient Movement, free from interference by the party’s executives.
However, the leadership of the Obidient Movement reportedly disapproved of the establishment of the directorate.
The Obidient Movement, also known as the ‘Obidients,’ emerged from the 2023 presidential campaign of Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate. Obi stated on Wednesday that the movement transcends political parties and lacks ethnic or religious ties. He emphasized that its goal is to hold the government accountable and serve as a beacon of hope for a better Nigeria.
