2027: FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, EX-OBI-DATTI CAMPAIGN COORDINATORS ENDORSE TINUBU

By NaijaParrot October 22, 2026 

 ABUJA, NIGERIA — A former presidential candidate and a group of individuals who identified themselves as former coordinators of the 2023 Labour Party presidential campaign have declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid ahead of the 2027 general election. The group, operating under the name Batified Obidients for Tinubu-Shettima 2027, announced its endorsement of Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima during a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, October 21. The declaration was led by Adesina Fagbenro-Byron, a former presidential candidate of the KOWA Party, who now serves as the group’s national coordinator. The members also announced their decision to adopt the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as their political platform for the 2027 election. However, the Labour Party and the Obidient Movement have questioned the group’s claims about its former political roles.

Fagbenro-Byron said the decision followed a review of the group’s experience during the 2023 presidential campaign of Peter Obi and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed. According to the group, its members initially supported Obi because they believed he represented an alternative to Nigeria’s established political order. However, they alleged that their experience raised concerns about internal management, the handling of diversity, unresolved disagreements and the recognition of volunteers’ contributions. Fabian Chukwudoruo, who identified himself as a former head of logistics of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, said the group had reconsidered its position after reflecting on what its members experienced during the campaign. He argued that the challenges they observed raised questions about the campaign’s organisational capacity and its preparedness for the demands of governing Nigeria. The criticisms represent the group’s assessment of its experience and have not been independently established as findings about the entire campaign organisation. 

 The group acknowledged the economic hardship and security challenges confronting Nigerians but said it believed Tinubu’s reform programme offered a viable direction for the country. Chukwudoruo admitted that the administration’s policies had been difficult for many households, with rising living costs and financial pressure affecting citizens. Despite those concerns, he said the group believed the president and the APC provided a suitable platform for continuing economic reforms and pursuing sustainable development. The members consequently endorsed Tinubu for a second term and extended their support to Shettima. They also said they intended to work with the APC and mobilize support for the president ahead of the 2027 election. 

 The declaration has attracted a response from the Labour Party, which disputed the group’s claims of affiliation with the party. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Asogwa, said the party could not verify the identities and membership claims of the individuals involved. Asogwa questioned their assertion that they had worked within the Obi-Datti presidential campaign structure and maintained that the party had no records confirming their claimed status. His comments indicate that the endorsement should not automatically be interpreted as a formal decision by the Labour Party to support Tinubu. The Obidient Movement also challenged the group’s credentials, asking its members to provide evidence of the positions they claimed to have held during the 2023 campaign. Onyeka Dike, the movement’s Director of Media and Communications, reportedly questioned who appointed the individuals and what evidence supported their claimed roles. The movement also argued that the political influence of the group should be demonstrated rather than assumed from its claimed association with Obi’s campaign. 

 The endorsement is another development in the political realignments taking place ahead of Nigeria’s next presidential election. While the group says it has moved its support from the Obi-Datti camp to Tinubu, its claims about its former campaign positions remain disputed by the Labour Party and the Obidient Movement. The development also highlights the distinction between individual political endorsements and official decisions by political parties. The group has declared its intention to support Tinubu and work with the APC, but the extent of its membership, organisational strength and ability to mobilise voters has not been independently established. With the 2027 election approaching, further political declarations and alliances are expected as parties and support groups seek to build their networks ahead of the polls. 

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