- Inauguration takes place Saturday
By Tolúlopé Olátúnjí
The Labour Party (LP) has announced the renaming of its controversial Directorate of OBIDIENT Affairs to the Directorate of Mobilisation and Integration. The decision follows significant debates and confusion surrounding the original name.
In a press statement on Thursday, June 6, 2024, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said that the change aims to clarify the distinction between the party’s activities and the broader Obidient Movement.
The statement read: “Labour Party renames Obidient Directorate as Directorate of Mobilisation and Integration.
“Following the controversies arising from the creation of the Directorate of OBIDIENT Affairs, in the party, the Directorate is hereby renamed the ‘Directorate of Mobilisation and Integration.'”
However, LP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, had previously stated that the Obidient Movement is not affiliated with any specific political party’s directorate.
Obi posted via his X handle: “Let me categorically state that the Obidient Movement is not a directorate of any particular political party. Any individual or individuals claiming to be leaders of this non-existent directorate are simply not members of the broader Obidient Movement.
“There may be a youth mobilisation directorate in political parties, but the Obidient Movement is far beyond a particular political party. The Obidient Movement is a diverse and inclusive collective that transcends traditional political, religious, and ethnic affiliations.”
The former Anambra State governor reiterated that the Obidient Movement operates “independently of any political party, and its membership is not confined to any particular political affiliation.”
The inauguration of the newly-named directorate will take place on Saturday, June 8, 2024, at the party’s national secretariat in Utako, Abuja, starting at 10 a.m. Party members and the general public are encouraged to take note of this event.
