The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has launched a fierce attack on supporters of former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, describing them as monsters and warning that their behaviour and conduct could prove to be his greatest political liability heading into the 2027 general elections.
Dabiri-Erewa made the remarks in a series of posts on her X account on Sunday, expressing exasperation at what she described as the toxic conduct of the group commonly known as Obidients, and calling on Obi to rein in his supporters before their actions permanently damage his political standing and future prospects.
The NiDCOM chairman's outburst was triggered by the reaction of Obi's supporters to her post about a working visit to Silicon Valley, California, where she said she met with Nigerian professionals who expressed a desire to contribute to Nigeria's development. She had also shared her experience of riding in a driverless car during the visit, expressing excitement at the technological milestone. The post drew critical responses from Obi's supporters, which she said prompted her to speak her mind publicly.
"Peter Obi has actually raised monsters. By God's grace, Tinubu will win the 2027 elections. When it's the turn of the South-East and who knows, if the lot falls on him, I hope he knows that these obingos/Obi-dients will ironically be his downfall. He needs to call them to order," Dabiri-Erewa wrote, making clear she held Obi personally responsible for the conduct of those who campaigned and continued to speak in his name.
She doubled down on the position in subsequent posts, insisting that unless Obi took deliberate steps to discipline his support base, the Obidients would ultimately become the force that ends rather than advances his political career. She also pushed back firmly against the suggestion that her role as a public official should oblige her to remain silent in the face of what she called the toxic behaviour of Obi's online supporters. "This is my personal account. You can hack it again if you so wish. So because I'm a public official, I should keep quiet to Rada Rada rede rede of Peter Obi's toxic obidients??" she wrote, suggesting that her account had previously been hacked, presumably by critics.
The remarks drew widespread attention on social media, with supporters of Obi responding sharply while members of the ruling All Progressives Congress rallied behind the NiDCOM chairman. The exchange underscored the intensity of political tensions building ahead of the 2027 elections, in which Obi is widely expected to make another presidential bid, and highlighted the degree to which the social media activism of the Obidient movement continues to generate controversy and provoke strong reactions from government officials and political figures aligned with President Bola Tinubu.
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