My dear brothers and sisters on the nission,
Now that the elections are behind us, I have taken time to reflect deeply on where we stand today as a movement in Oyo State. And with all sincerity, I must confess that my heart is heavy. Not because of defeat, but because of what threatens to destroy the very house we are trying to build.
Three things, if not urgently addressed, will scatter us before 2027 even arrives.
First is disunity. We are disadvantaged in numbers already, yet instead of closing ranks, we have allowed factions to grow among us. We quarrel, we slander, and we are too quick to pull each other down. My brothers and sisters, how can we win if we keep fighting ourselves?
Second is the mad rush for power and control. Too many want to lead, but very few want to serve. Yet true leadership is service, not titles, not positions, not personal empires. If our movement becomes about who controls what rather than who sacrifices most for the cause, then we are no different from the old order we are seeking to replace.
Third, and most painful, is the spirit of profiteering that has crept in. Some among us seem more interested in money than in the mission. When meetings are dominated by “who gets what” instead of “how do we build,” when funds meant for the struggle become the subject of endless quarrels, how then do we claim to be different from those we condemn?
I speak these words not to condemn, but to call us back to the path of truth. I must also pause here to offer a sincere apology. In the heat of the smear campaign launched against me, I reacted harshly at times. That was wrong. I take responsibility for those outbursts. As a leader, my duty is not to retaliate but to reconcile. One thing that the event has shown though is the depth of the ills I have highlighted above which I sincerely did not know about before now.
And so, I make this pledge to you today: my priority going forward is to unite this movement in Oyo State. I have reached out to other elders even those who are older and more experienced than me to also join hands with me in this regards, so that together we can heal these wounds. My office will also begin to contact every faction, every camp, every group. Because if we truly love our principal, His Excellency Peter Obi, then we must come together not as rivals, but as one family.
My beloved Obidients, the 2027 journey is not far. The old order is counting on us to destroy ourselves before we even get to the battlefield. We cannot let them win that way. Let us prove to them, and to the world, that we are different. That we are a people who can put ego aside, silence greed, and embrace one another for the sake of the greater good.
Let history record that the Obidient Movement in Oyo State chose unity over division, service over ambition, sacrifice over selfish gain. For only then can we truly deliver the new Nigeria we all dream of.
I extend my hand to every one of you, regardless of past disagreements. Let us begin again, in peace, in humility, in love.
With deep respect, hope and commitment,
*Dr. Femi Dexter Akin-Alamu*
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