In a surprise announcement that could reverberate through Nigeria’s opposition politics, Morris Monye has resigned as Director of Mobilisation for the Obidient Movement, the grassroots network supporting Peter Obi and the Labour Party (LP).
Monye made the declaration via a public letter, citing frustration with internal dysfunction, self-funding, and the movement’s performance in the recent Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)-declared Anambra State election outcome.
Monye stated: “Almost a year down the line, most of our short, medium, and long-term plans have not been met. I won’t be part of optics and no work.” He continued: “The poor showing at the Anambra election has also made my position untenable.”
He also made stinging allegations about the movement’s internal posture. Monye claimed he had personally spent approximately ₦40 million on nationwide mobilisation efforts—travel, local support structures, logistics and voter awareness campaigns—without any formal budget or institutional backing. “No money was given to the Directorate of Mobilisation. There’s no bank account even for the directorate. In fact, Mr Peter Obi has never asked what we are doing in mobilisation—no communication, nothing,” he charged.
Monye highlighted additional pressure from outside the movement: he said he and his business interests suffered “constant harassment” from “sympathisers and instruments of this government,” suggesting security and reputational risk had increased for him and his family by continuing.
Among his recorded achievements as head of mobilisation, Monye pointed to the establishment of an online registration system for Obidients, revival of dormant support groups, activation of local and regional structures, and the launch of the “Obidient NextGen” university-campus network. He noted that his resignation does not mean disengagement: he said he will continue to advise but will no longer feature at the movement’s forefront.
In his resignation, he urged the movement to urgently professionalise: engage media and operations consultants, establish polling-unit coordination systems, fund directorates cash-and-carry rather than goodwill, and set measurable outcomes for mobilisation activities ahead of the 2027 election cycle. “You can’t run a campaign simply from general goodwill. This is not 2023. The element of surprise is gone,” he warned.
The Obidient Movement and Peter Obi himself have yet to issue a public response, and it remains unclear how the frontline vacancy will be filled.
