The mobilisation chief of Nigeria’s Obidient Movement, a youth-driven force backing opposition figure Peter Obi, stepped down Thursday, citing chronic underfunding, disorganisation and a dismal showing in last week’s Anambra polls as triggers for his exit from the role he held for nearly a year.
Morris Monye, a prominent voice in the grassroots campaign that propelled Obi’s 2023 presidential bid, announced his resignation on X, detailing frustrations over unmet goals and personal sacrifices in a lengthy statement that urged successors to professionalise operations with consultants and dedicated budgets.
“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. The poor showing at the Anambra election has also made my position untenable,” Monye wrote.
He lambasted the lack of resources, revealing: “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.”
Monye, who self-funded nationwide travel, voter drives and an online registration portal, also highlighted the emotional strain, saying: “It’s a role that paints a target on your back. I’ve had to remain silent so as not to discourage anyone or appear to be complaining, but it has taken a toll on me and my family, who can hardly understand it all.”
The Labour Party, Obi’s vehicle, garnered just 1.5 percent in the November 8 Anambra governorship race — a humiliating result in his home state — prompting Monye to warn: “You can’t run a campaign simply from general goodwill. This is not 2023. The element of surprise is gone.”
He called for completing initiatives like a polling unit body camera project, adding: “The next director must follow up on this. We have not closed it out yet.”
Monye, describing the stint as a “privilege,” plans to refocus on business and studies, including a potential course at Oxford or Cambridge, while vowing continued advocacy for reforms.
Neither Obi nor movement coordinator Yunusa Tanko have responded publicly, but the defection signals deepening rifts in a group once hailed for mobilising millions against entrenched elites in Africa’s most populous nation.
