The Big Tent Coalition has formally unveiled ‘Obidient Connect’, a groundbreaking civic-tech platform designed to organise, mobilise, and empower Nigerians at home and across the diaspora ahead of the 2027 general elections.

A statement by the coalition’s Director, Media and Communications, Mr. Charles Odibo, revealed that the Founder of the Big Tent Coalition, Professor Pat Utomi, while speaking at the unveiling, described the platform as “the historic bridge between the energy of citizens and the urgent task of rescuing Nigeria’s democracy from decay”.

He said the launch marks a defining national moment, coming against the backdrop of Nigeria’s democratic setbacks, worsening insecurity, deepening poverty, institutional failures, and the painful lessons of the 2023 elections.

“Expression alone is not power. Organisation is power,” Utomi declared. “Obidient Connect answers the critical question of how to organise the hope of millions into structured civic power, at every ward, every polling unit, and across every diaspora community.”

A platform built to connect, organise, and protect votes, ‘Obidient Connect’ is a citizen-led platform that enables Nigerians to connect by polling unit (within Nigeria) and by country cells (in the diaspora); organise for voter education, mobilisation, training and lawful civic engagement; and protect votes through structured polling-unit reporting and verification.

Utomi explained that the platform is purpose-built to ensure that “the will of the Nigerian people is never again stolen in the dark”.

He announced that ‘Obidient Connect’ will enable Nigerians across the country’s 176,864 polling units to “transmit certified polling-unit results to a central dashboard in real time, reinforcing transparency and citizen oversight. This functionality makes citizen-driven monitoring and verification more critical than ever to safeguarding electoral integrity”.

Utomi announced that ‘Obidient Connect’ has established a strategic partnership with Naija We Can, a reputable nonprofit organisation registered in the United States, to serve as its trusted partner for local and diaspora donations. Through this partnership, Nigerians at home and in the diaspora can support civic and voter education, grassroots organising and democratic advocacy, securely, transparently, and in full compliance with Nigerian law.

He noted that: “Naija We Can brings credibility, governance and accountability to this process. It ensures that every contribution, no matter how small, is properly managed and deployed to strengthen citizen participation across Nigeria.”

Utomi stressed that ‘Obidient Connect’ operates strictly within Nigerian law, particularly regarding diaspora donation. “Diaspora contributions will be used for lawful activities such as media and advocacy, grassroots organising, and votes protection. No funds will be directed to any political party,” setting what Utomi described as “a new ethical standard for political engagement in Nigeria”.

UTOMI NAMES CHARLES ODIBO AS COORDINATOR

At the unveiling, Utomi announced Charles Odibo as Coordinator of Obidient Connect, citing his experience, discipline and strategic clarity.

Odibo is a seasoned communications strategist who has led marketing and communications teams in three major Nigerian banks and played a key role in conceptualising and developing ‘Obidient Connect’ platform.

“Obidient Connect requires clarity, structure, transparency, and trust, and Charles Odibo embodies all four,” Utomi said, urging Nigerians at home and abroad to give the team their full cooperation as the platform rolls out globally.

CALL TO ACTION

Utomi issued a clear call to action to Nigerians everywhere, stressing that “Nigeria will not change by accident, it will change because citizens decide to own the future.”

With Obidient Connect now unveiled and publicly accessible, the Big Tent Coalition says the platform will serve as the central infrastructure for lawful civic organising, vote protection, and democratic accountability ahead of 2027, placing citizen power, transparency, and real-time verification at the heart of Nigeria’s electoral future. (THISDAY)

• L-R: Ibrahim Abdulkarim, DG, Big Tent Independent Campaign Council; Dr Yunusa Tanko, Coordinator Obidient Movement; Prof Pat Utomi, Founder of Big Tent; Charles Odibo, Coordinator, Obidient Connect, at the official unveiling of Obidient Connect Platform, recently