The former National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement and ex-political adviser to Peter Obi, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, has parted ways with the movement and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

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Following his resignation, Tanko was unveiled at the SDP National Secretariat in Abuja as the National Coordinator and Director-General of the party’s Presidential Campaign Organization for its flagbearer, Prince Adewole Adebayo.

Addressing journalists and speaking during media appearances regarding his exit from the grassroots coalition that championed Obi’s 2023 presidential bid, Tanko stated that his departure was driven by a feeling of being unwanted and a breach of trust within the camp.

According to Tanko, internal friction made his continued stay untenable despite his contributions to the movement.

“The group did not want me. You don’t stay where you’re being tolerated. You go to where you’re being appreciated,” Tanko said. “I respect Peter Obi, but since they don’t want me, people who want me picked me up from the dustbin and made me a bride. That’s what happened.”

Tanko, who also served as spokesman for the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Organisation during the 2023 election cycle before being appointed to lead the Obidient Movement in September 2024, alleged that he suffered a betrayal of trust and loyalty from certain individuals within the fold. He noted, however, that he informed both Peter Obi and the National Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Seriake Dickson, prior to accepting his new role in the SDP.

While maintaining personal respect for Obi and acknowledging the platform he was previously given, Tanko declined to immediately disclose every detail of the internal grievances that led to his exit. Instead, he hinted that a full account of the events would be documented in an upcoming book.
Turning his focus to his new assignment, Tanko described the SDP as a people-oriented, left-wing platform committed to championing the interests of ordinary citizens and the downtrodden. He pledged to work alongside Adebayo, with whom he noted he has maintained a warm relationship since 2023, and vice-presidential candidate Usman Bugaje to mobilize support ahead of the 2027 ballot.
The defection marks a notable realignment within Nigeria’s opposition landscape as political actors and coalitions recalibrate their structures in preparation for the 2027 electoral cycle.