Ahead of the 2027 elections, another crisis has erupted in the Obidient Movement following the decision of a Diaspora group to decouple itself from the structure.
The diaspora group said its decision was as a result of a series of manipulative and self-destructive events.
Two Diaspora Coordinators, Dr. David Ogula and Bolanle Emiabata-Anibaba in a statement issued Monday said though that it has not been an easy decision, but one they had to take after a long period of observation, sober reflection, and ultimately, a deep sense of disappointment.
They noted: “The decision to decouple was made even more difficult because Nigeria remains in a state of deep crisis, and work to build a new Nigeria has not yet begun.
“When we were approached over a year ago to assist in structuring the movement, we did so with unwavering commitment, driven by a shared vision of a new Nigeria founded on the values of character, integrity, accountability, inclusivity, fairness, and justice.
“We hope to harness the energy of the youth into a diverse and inclusive collective, transcending traditional political, religious, and ethnic affiliations.
“We also envisioned leadership that would serve as a beacon of hope for a reimagined Nigeria. We were not, by any means, naïve about the challenges we faced, given the complexity of Nigeria’s problems: the restive attitudes, high expectations, and the urgent need for change.
“However, in the course of establishing the structure, we experienced attitudes that belied the florid public rhetoric.
“Instead, we were exposed to the default dysfunctional approach to doing things among Nigerians, petty tricks, and vagueness.
“What emerged was a fragmented, deep structure with personal opinions that served as theology. These dysfunctional attitudes call into question our credibility and the reasons for our initial involvement.
“The atmosphere was characterized by a persistent toxic culture, symbols, performances, and behaviors that contradicted the ideals Nigerians were asked to uphold.
“Decisions were arbitrary, and interim positions were viewed as opportunities to exert “power” and “control,” or to fill a perceived power vacuum, and rules were routinely circumvented.”
The coordinators added that the “anyhowness” of Nigeria and the casual disregard for structure, process, and impertinence permeated group work.
They stressed that they witnessed the deliberate undermining of the structure, bad and arbitrary decisions, breaches of confidentiality, and enabling bad behavior. These behaviors contradicted the beliefs of a movement seeking to birth a new Nigeria; they were symptoms of the dysfunction the movement claimed to oppose.”