The Directorate of Mobilisation and Integration (DMI) led by Marcel Ngogbehei, a pioneer organiser of the Obidient Movement, has formed an alliance with the Tinubu Must Stay Movement (TMS) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The alliance was agreed upon during a meeting lasting more than five hours in London between Mr Ngogbehei and Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, identified by DMI as the founder of TMS.
In a statement issued by DMI on Monday, said its national executive committee ratified the alliance at an emergency meeting on Sunday, while the TMS board also approved the agreement.
Ngogbehei previously served as chairman of the Coalition for Peter Obi (CPO) and worked with the Labour Party during the mobilisation that preceded the 2023 elections.
DMI said the alliance followed its national strategy session on September 18, where members authorised the leadership to explore new political and institutional partnerships amid the prolonged crisis within the Labour Party.
While explaining the rationale for the partnership, the organisation said the growing “Tinubu Must Go” campaign had not been matched, in its assessment, by sufficient debate on alternative policies.
The organisation said the opposition has the right to criticise President Bola Tinubu but should also explain what it would do differently, how its policies would be funded and what ordinary Nigerians stood to gain.
“Government must account for its record. The opposition must account for its alternatives. Nigerians deserve both,” the directorate stated.
DMI also drew parallels with the political atmosphere ahead of the 2015 general election, when former President Goodluck Jonathan faced intense opposition campaigns, saying the experience reinforced the need to scrutinise proposed alternatives alongside criticism of an incumbent government.
In his remarks after the meeting, Ngogbehei thanked Abdullahi for the engagement and discussions on Nigeria’s economic and development agenda.
“I wish to express my heartfelt appreciation to my brother and friend, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi (KIA), the brain behind Tinubu Must Stay (TMS) and a member of President Tinubu’s Campaign Council, whose thoughtful engagement and friendship I deeply value,” he said.
“Our extensive discussions on Nigeria’s economic reforms, diaspora investment opportunities, infrastructure development, and human capital initiatives such as 3MTT, DL4ALL, TVET, and NELFUND provided valuable insights into the administration’s policy direction.
“I am particularly grateful for the time he devoted to sharing information, explaining the reform agenda, and engaging me in meaningful conversations about policy continuity and Nigeria’s long-term development.
“His contribution to these discussions was significant, and I look forward to strengthening our friendship and continuing our constructive collaboration.”
Beyond the alliance, DMI announced plans to establish a permanent civic-accountability programme to assess political promises, proposed solutions, funding plans and their impact on citizens.
The organisation said the programme would continue beyond the 2027 elections.
DMI also said it had more than 500 state and FCT coordinators and over 11,000 local government area coordinators nationwide.
Ngogbehei said the partnership would open a new chapter in the organisation’s engagement with national development, public policy and citizen participation.
“Our alliance with the Tinubu Must Stay Movement is about encouraging that conversation. Opposition is a democratic right, but credible alternatives matter,” he said.
