“Obidient Movement Rejects Akande’s ‘Revisionist’ Narrative on #EndSARS”
Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, has fiercely criticized former Osun State Governor, Bisi Akande, over his recent allegations that the 2020 #EndSARS protests were orchestrated by Obi’s supporters, the Obidients, as part of a plot to derail the presidential ambition of current President, Bola Tinubu.
In a statement responding to Akande’s claims, Obi and the Obidient Movement described the former governor’s remarks as an attempt to distort history and an affront to the memory of those who lost their lives during the protests.
The #EndSARS protests, which took place between October 7 and 20, 2020, initially started as a call for the disbandment of the notorious police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), but quickly grew into a nationwide movement demanding broader reforms, including better governance. The protests were particularly marked by clashes between demonstrators and security forces, especially in Lagos State, where soldiers were accused of opening fire on unarmed protesters at the Lekki Tollgate.
During a podcast hosted by Edmund Obilo, Akande controversially stated that the #EndSARS movement was financed by foreign donations and was orchestrated by the Obidients to thwart Tinubu’s presidential ambitions. He claimed that the movement was created in the United States and was part of a well-funded and organized plot to influence Nigeria’s political landscape.
“The Obidients were behind the #EndSARS. It was manufactured in America and brought in just to stop him (Tinubu),” Akande asserted. “It was well planned and organized with a lot of money from America.”
In response, Obi’s media aide, Umar Ibrahim, condemned Akande’s claims as false and misleading. Ibrahim stressed that the Obidient Movement was a grassroots initiative born out of the desire for better governance, not a political plot aimed at stopping any individual from becoming president. He further emphasized that the #EndSARS protests were a spontaneous, youth-led reaction to deep-rooted issues like police brutality and government corruption, not a political campaign.
“The allegations are not only misleading but divisive,” Ibrahim said. “It’s unfortunate that Akande would suggest that the Obidient Movement was behind the #EndSARS protests, and even more astonishing to imply it was orchestrated to prevent a particular individual from becoming President. The #EndSARS protests were about justice, not politics.”
Tanko Yunusa, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, also rejected Akande’s narrative, describing it as an insult to the victims of police brutality and those who perished during the protests. Yunusa emphasized that the #EndSARS movement was decentralized and focused on ending police violence, not supporting any political figure or party.
“His false narrative is an attempt to rewrite history and deflect attention from the real issues facing Nigerians today,” Yunusa stated. “#EndSARS was a movement led by Nigerian youth demanding an end to police brutality and systemic injustice. It was not about politics or any presidential ambition.”
Yunusa urged Akande and others making similar claims to focus on addressing the pressing issues Nigeria faces, such as economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment, and poor governance, rather than distorting history to shift blame.
Both Obi’s aide and Yunusa called for an end to such divisive rhetoric and urged political leaders to focus on uniting the country to tackle its most critical challenges. They emphasized that no amount of misinformation could alter the reality of the struggles many Nigerians continue to face.
