Ikenna Azomchine, a key strategist in the Obidient Movement, has cautioned Nigerians not to pledge loyalty to any presidential candidate without critical thinking. Speaking during an appearance on Trust TV recently, Azomchine revealed he is rethinking his political alignments before 2027.
The movement coordinator once backed Peter Obi's presidential ambitions closely. But he's now distancing himself from that effort, he told viewers.
Azomchine said he tried meeting with Obi to discuss winning strategies for the next election. According to him, Obi couldn't articulate a clear plan to clinch the presidency.
"I wanted him at the table to tell me how we would win in 2027," Azomchine noted. "But he was never able to do that."
He emphasized that movements can't survive on emotion alone. Practical pathways to power matter most, he stressed.
Obi is now the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC). Azomchine made clear his group would back President Bola Tinubu's re-election bid instead.
The strategist said he remains open to Obi contributing policy ideas for national development. But he won't follow Obi blindly into another electoral loss.
Azomchine distanced himself from actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo's vocal attacks on other political figures. He prefers a different approach, he indicated.
"Movements cannot survive on sheer sentiment alone without a practical path toward capturing executive power," in his words. Real electoral planning protects the millions who expect actual results, he argued.
Opposition figures must move beyond mere talk, Azomchine contended during the interview. They need realistic, measurable strategies to stay relevant, he said.
His ultimate goal remains finding a political platform capable of delivering economic progress. Nigeria needs tangible improvements, not endless rhetoric, Azomchine concluded.
