The former National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, has joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Tanko, who played a prominent role in Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign, has been appointed Coordinator of the SDP Presidential Campaign Council.
He is expected to lead efforts to mobilise support for the party’s presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, as preparations for the 2027 presidential election gather momentum.
The appointment was announced on Wednesday by the SDP National Chairman, Professor Abubakar Sadiq Gombe.
Tanko’s new political assignment marks a significant change from his previous involvement in the Obidient Movement, which became a major political force during the 2023 general elections through its support for Obi.
Adebayo, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the SDP platform, is expected to lead the party’s campaign against President Bola Tinubu and other presidential contenders in 2027.
Speaking on the appointments, Gombe urged members of the presidential campaign council to demonstrate commitment to the responsibility entrusted to them.
He reminded the newly appointed officials that the task ahead required seriousness and effective coordination, particularly as the party prepares to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Earlier, POLITICS NIGERIA reported that the SDP chairman had called on members of the campaign council to approach their assignments with determination and a clear understanding of the party’s objective.
“Let us approach this election with the seriousness it deserves to unseat President Tinubu,” he stated.
Tanko’s appointment has also brought renewed attention to the relationship between political movements and the parties through which their preferred candidates pursue electoral ambitions.
In a related development, the Obidient Movement had previously maintained that its loyalty was primarily to Peter Obi rather than any particular political party, insisting that its support would follow the former Anambra State governor wherever he decided to contest.
On August 30, 2025, the movement’s National Coordinator, Yunusa Tanko, reaffirmed its commitment to Obi amid speculations that the group was becoming divided over the political platform the former governor would adopt for the 2027 election.
The clarification followed political discussions surrounding the possible coalition of opposition figures and Atiku Abubakar’s involvement in efforts to build a political platform ahead of the next general election.
At the time, there were suggestions that Obi’s supporters could become divided if he chose a different political direction from other opposition figures.
However, Tanko dismissed the suggestion that the movement was losing its unity.
He maintained that members remained committed to Obi and his political ambition, regardless of the party he eventually chose.
Speaking on behalf of the movement, he said: “Democracy guarantees freedoms, including association and choices about election participation.”
He also addressed the political activities of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, noting that every Nigerian had the constitutional right to pursue an electoral ambition.
Tanko stated: “Anybody who wants to contest an election is free to do so. Atiku Abubakar has the right to contest on any platform, just like any other person. Nobody can deny him that right.”
He, however, made it clear that the Obidient Movement had already settled on its position regarding Obi’s political future.
“But what we have resolved as a movement, with followers across the country and beyond, is that we will stand with our presidential candidate anywhere he goes.
“We are together and indivisible. The vision is the same, the agenda is the same, and we will stand firmly with Mr Obi anywhere he goes. We believe in his ideas and we will not abandon him.”
Tanko further explained that the movement’s activities were not restricted to membership of a particular political party.
He described political parties as platforms through which candidates could pursue their ambitions, stressing that the movement’s interest was in Obi’s leadership and political vision.
The August 2025 declaration was important because it came at a time when discussions about opposition alliances and the 2027 presidential election were becoming more prominent.
It also reinforced Tanko’s position as one of Obi’s most vocal political supporters following the 2023 election.
In another statement on June 7, 2024, Tanko had also defended the independence of the Obidient Movement, arguing that it was bigger than the Labour Party and could hold even its preferred political figures accountable.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, he explained that the movement was established around the demand for good governance rather than blind loyalty to a political organisation.
He said: “It’s bigger than the Labour Party. It is so because it is a move of its own that has a life of its own. What they are interested in is good governance.”
Tanko went further by insisting that the movement would not hesitate to challenge Obi if his actions contradicted the principles it represented.
He stated: “Even if the Labour Party is doing something that is wrong, they are able to challenge it. Let me go further, even His Excellency [Peter Obi], if he does something that is not aligned with good governance, we would challenge it.”
