The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has strongly condemned former Osun State governor, Bisi Akande, over his claim that the #EndSARS protest was orchestrated by the Obidient Movement to hinder President Bola Tinubu’s ambition.
Obi, alongside members of the movement, described Akande’s statement as an attempt to distort history and undermine the genuine cause of the protest. 
The nationwide #EndSARS demonstration, which lasted from October 7 to 20, 2020, was initially aimed at disbanding the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) but later evolved into a broader demand for good governance.
Akande, in a recent podcast interview with broadcaster Edmund Obilo, alleged that the protest was funded by foreign donations and was primarily driven by the Obidient Movement.
“The Obidients were behind the #EndSARS. It was manufactured in America and brought in just to stop him (Tinubu),” he claimed.
However, Obi’s media aide, Umar Ibrahim, dismissed the accusation, calling it divisive and insensitive.
“The allegations are not only misleading but also divisive.
It is unfortunate Akande would suggest that the Obidient Movement was behind the #EndSARS protests, and even more astonishing that he would imply it was orchestrated to prevent a particular individual from becoming President,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Tanko Yunusa, also condemned Akande’s narrative, stressing that it undermined the sacrifices made by the youth.
He emphasized that #EndSARS was a spontaneous, youth-led movement focused on ending police brutality and extrajudicial killings.
“The Obidient movement outright rejects the baseless and revisionist claim by former Governor Bisi Akande.
His false narrative is not only an insult to the memory of the young Nigerians who lost their lives in the fight against police brutality but also a desperate attempt to rewrite history and shift blame for the government’s failures,” Yunusa said.
Furthermore, he urged Akande and other political figures to focus on addressing the pressing issues affecting Nigerians rather than promoting misinformation.
“Rather than engaging in revisionist propaganda, we urge Akande and his associates to focus on addressing the real issues facing Nigerians today — economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment, and bad governance.
The people are suffering, and no amount of misinformation or historical distortion will change that reality,” he added.
The controversy surrounding the #EndSARS movement remains a sensitive issue, and stakeholders continue to call for clarity and justice to ensure that history is not rewritten for political convenience.
