The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has come under scrutiny after describing supporters of former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi as “monsters” in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter).
Dabiri-Erewa warned that the conduct of the group, popularly known as Obidients, could negatively affect Obi’s political ambitions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“@PeterObi has actually raised monsters… I hope he knows that these Obidients will ironically be his downfall,” she wrote, adding that the Labour Party figure should “call them to order.”
She also expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu would win re-election in 2027, while suggesting that Obi’s supporters could undermine his political prospects if not managed.
In subsequent posts, she reiterated her criticism, saying the behaviour of some supporters could become a liability for Obi’s future political plans.
“@obidients… they will eventually be @PeterObi’s downfall if he does not call them to order,” she added.
Dabiri-Erewa also defended her right to respond to critics online, stating that her remarks were made from her personal account and not in her official capacity.
“This is my personal account… So because I’m a public official, I should keep quiet?” she wrote in response to critics.
The comments followed backlash to an earlier post in which she shared her experience meeting Nigerians in Silicon Valley, California, and took a ride in a driverless car.
Peter Obi has not yet publicly responded to the latest remarks at the time of reporting.
The Obidient movement, which emerged during the 2023 elections, remains a strong online political force, often engaged in heated exchanges with supporters of rival parties.
