Obidient movement leader backs El-Rufai, calls for equity in 2027 zoning debate
The Leader of the Obidient Movement in the South East, Dr. Ezeh Emmanuel Ezeh, has defended former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, over criticisms trailing his call for South East residents to participate in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Ezeh said El-Rufai’s position on zoning the presidency to the South promotes equity and aligns with opposition realignments that could favour Labour Party’s Peter Obi ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He dismissed the protest staged against El-Rufai in Owerri during the 2025 Odenigbo lecture at Maria Assumpta Catholic Church, describing it as a “sham” orchestrated by desperate politicians within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition talks. According to him, the demonstration was driven by loyalists of a northern aspirant unsettled by El-Rufai’s declaration that the ADC presidential ticket should be zoned to the South to complete the region’s remaining four-year slot.
“Although the constitution guarantees freedom of expression, coalition politicians working for a northern aspirant must be guided by equity, fairness and inclusivity,” Ezeh said.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri, through its Chancellor, Rev. Father Patrick Mbarah, also disowned the protesters, describing them as “hired, placard-carrying thugs” targeting both El-Rufai and Obi.
Ezeh insisted that the coalition risked losing credibility if it ignored the principle of zoning, adding that El-Rufai’s message resonated with the ideals of the Obidient Movement. “The time for grabbing power for power’s sake is gone. Mallam El-Rufai has come to acknowledge that Nigeria belongs to every citizen, and that the journey to a new Nigeria must rest on citizen participation in elections and the rule of law,” he said.
On voter mobilisation, Ezeh described the 2027 polls as a defining contest for Nigeria’s democracy.
