Former presidential aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, has openly declared his intention to dismantle the Obidient movement, citing personal threats and a fallout with Peter Obi as the driving forces behind his decision.
Speaking on Breakfast Central on Thursday, Omokri refuted claims that his opposition to Obi and his supporters stems from a personal vendetta.
Instead, he mentioned his past role in Obi’s political rise and how his disillusionment led him to take a hard stance.
“I took a vow to destroy that movement because Peter Obi was a project of mine,” Omokri stated, recalling his efforts in shaping Obi’s national prominence.
According to him, alongside Senator Ben Murray-Bruce and a previous president, he played a crucial part in securing Obi’s place as Atiku Abubakar’s running mate in the 2019 presidential election.
“I was responsible for Peter Obi becoming the running mate to Waziri Atiku Abubakar in 2019.
“I’ve said this publicly. I’ve got the documents. I’m a meticulous record keeper,” he claimed.
While Obi’s unexpected resignation from the People’s Democratic Party without consulting his supporters sparked some controversy, Omokri believes the true turning point was the behaviour of Obi’s supporters.
“Peter Obi’s movement, Obidients, started attacking me, threatening me, and insulting me. That was OK.
“But then they moved from me to my family. I just had a daughter at that time. There were multiple death threats,” he alleged, revealing that the harassment escalated into real-life encounters.
“They came to my house in the United Kingdom. They trailed my wife and me when we were jogging.
“They found out my jogging route and pursued me, threatening me,” he further alleged.
Omokri reached out to Obi, expecting him to intervene. However, he claimed the former Labour Party presidential candidate refused to denounce a specific individual linked to the threats. Feeling abandoned, Omokri made a firm decision to destroy the movement using all available political tools.