Ex-Obi/Datti Campaign Officials Meet Seyi Tinubu, Pledge 12 Million Votes for APC in 2027

• Former deputy campaign manager of the Obi/Datti Presidential Campaign, Isaac Balami, led Obidient leaders and professionals to meet Seyi Tinubu in Abuja on Friday, July 31
• The group, who claimed to have delivered over 6 million votes to Peter Obi in 2023, announced a switch of allegiance to APC
• Balami and other defectors cited neglect and unfair treatment within the Obidient Movement as the reason for their decision

Abuja, FCT - Former deputy campaign manager of the Obi/Datti Presidential Campaign, Comrade Isaac Balami, led a delegation of ex-Obidient leaders, professionals, and support group conveners to a meeting with Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in Abuja on Friday, July 31, where they formally declared support for the President's re-election in 2027.

Balami, who joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) shortly after the 2023 general elections, said he left the Labour Party because of what he saw as a lack of purposeful leadership within the party.

Obidients Formally Join APC Structure

At the gathering were Obidient Movement leaders from the Middle Belt and North-Central regions, social media influencers, representatives from roughly 100 support groups across Nigeria, professional associations, journalists, religious leaders, and Igbo Obidient figures from both the North and the South-East.

Addressing those present, Balami said the group had spent three years waiting patiently before deciding it was time to commit fully to the APC.

"It is exactly three years since I left the Labour Party with my political structure. Throughout that period, we have remained patient. Now, we believe it is time to work earnestly for the APC and support the leadership of President Bola Tinubu," he said.

He claimed the people in the room were responsible for delivering more than six million votes to Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election and said they were now committed to doubling that figure for President Tinubu.

"Today, they have resolved to double that figure and work towards delivering 12 million votes to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu," Balami added.

He said the decision to switch allegiance was driven by a sense that their interests were neither recognised nor protected within the Obidient Movement. Several other speakers at the event echoed this, saying they had campaigned across the country, spent personal funds, and sacrificed time with their families without receiving any recognition for their efforts. The group described themselves as now "obediently BATIFIED."

Seyi Tinubu Welcomes the Delegation

Seyi Tinubu welcomed the group on behalf of his father's Renewed Hope Movement and assured them they would be treated fairly under the APC structure.

"Our movement is inclusive, and everyone will be treated fairly. You have joined us because you believe in building a better Nigeria. While it is unfortunate that you were not treated fairly where you came from, that experience has brought us together today," he said.

He also thanked Balami personally for the sacrifices he had made and asked the entire delegation to remain patient, saying the administration would not disappoint Nigerians.

Seyi Tinubu pointed to what he described as achievements of the Tinubu administration, including infrastructure development, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), economic reforms, fuel subsidy removal, and the introduction of a new national minimum wage.