Sowore Slams Peter Obi, Labour Party As ‘Short Rental’ Opposition; Obidient Movement Fires Back
THECONSCIENCE NG reports that former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has criticised the Labour Party and its 2023 presidential flagbearer, Peter Obi, calling them a “short rental” political arrangement incapable of challenging Nigeria’s entrenched political establishment.
Sowore made the remarks on Sunday during a television interview, where he questioned Obi’s credibility as an opposition figure.
“In terms of real opposition, I don’t know why anyone refers to Peter Obi as such. He hasn’t opposed anything the government is doing. He didn’t rally his supporters to defend the election result he claimed to have won. He was silent when fuel prices were increased and has done nothing typical of an opposition leader,” Sowore said.
He dismissed claims that Obi remains the leading face of the opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting the former Anambra State governor’s 2023 popularity was driven more by religious sentiment than by political ideology.
“There was a reaction to the APC’s Muslim-Muslim ticket. Some Christians saw it as an attempt to Islamise Nigeria and responded by supporting a Christian candidate — Peter Obi happened to be the most visible one,” he explained.
Sowore also criticised Obi for what he described as a lack of grassroots mobilisation and resistance against government policies.
“If you say you’re opposition, then act like it. Six million people voted for you — if you can’t get all of them on the streets, at least gather 60,000 in Abuja. Then the government will take you seriously. Instead, you’re discouraging protests because you don’t want real change. You just want to replace Tinubu’s people with your own,” he added.
He further accused Labour Party lawmakers of aligning with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), rather than upholding the ideals they campaigned on.
“Look at the Labour Party members in the National Assembly — they’re not defecting back to their former parties. They’re moving to the APC. These people were never real in 2023, and they won’t be real in 2027 either,” he declared.
Obidient Movement Responds
In a swift response via a phone interview, National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, dismissed Sowore’s comments, asserting that Peter Obi’s influence in Nigerian politics remains unparalleled.
“Why is someone who is supposedly irrelevant being constantly talked about? As it stands, Peter Obi’s presence in Nigerian politics is so significant that any comment he makes becomes news. That’s the level of his relevance,” Tanko said.
He also took aim at Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who recently made disparaging comments about Obi during a valedictory session for the late Chief Edwin Clark.
“For the Senate President to mention Peter Obi in such a setting, and not even on policy grounds but as a personal attack — that says everything about how threatened they are by him,” Tanko argued.
He urged critics to focus on their own political aspirations while affirming the Obidient Movement’s continued support for Obi.
“They should let Peter Obi continue his work of holding the establishment accountable. We remain firmly behind him in his pursuit of a better Nigeria,” he concluded.
