Follow Us on Google
By Njoku Macdonald Obinna, Abuja
When it comes to change and political evolution, while it all starts with an idea: there is no knowing how it will happen or what form, shape, or design it would take to manifest.
Apart from the late M. K. O Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), whose June 12 mandate was stolen despite running a robust and effective political campaign between 1992 and 1993, Peter Obi, by his wide acceptance; quite engaging and issue – based campaign, proactive and most populist administrative thrust nay political mantra across ethnic, religious, geopolitical and party lines took the world by surprise as he joined the league of African leaders who are institutions not just in their respective countries, but also in the continent.
However, the following African heroes easily come to mind when one dispassionately talks about leaders that have made great impact in social re- engineering, massive followership, redefining leadership and getting the attention of the world in the political landscape of Africa:
Kwame Nkurumah, Sékou Touré, Julius Nyerere, Jomo Kenyatta, Kenneth Kaunda, Samora Machel, Sam Nujoma and Nelson Mandela, to mention just a few. Good a thing, the much underrated Peter Obi without structure has joined the league as the newest brand of political leadership in Nigeria; the giant of Africa. A case study for students of power and political science.
Barley nine months preparatory to the 2023 general elections, a former running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) during the 2019 presidential elections, Peter Obi, after due consultations with broadminded Nigerians, leaders of thoughts, opinion moulders, policy -makers, public analysts, political scientists, the diasporas, foreign diplomats and the international community, left the PDP around April 2022 after her primaries and joined hands with others in almost a moribund Labour Party in May 2022, to revive, resuscitate, recreate and restore it; using the platform to pursue his presidential ambition in the now concluded February 25, 2023 general elections, as the post -elections matters will be addressed in court through engaged legal fireworks.
The transformational phenomenon, a revolutionary tonic that drove the Obi-Datti’s historical success in the Saturday, February 25, 2023 general elections, a few months to the presidential election stemmed from a convinced mind of the political sagacity, exposure, training, discipline, acceptability, capacity, temperament, anger management, leadership dexterity and resilience of Peter Obi and Ahmed Datti to change the ugly narrative of the age long corrupt and compromised governance in Nigeria; beginning with the end in mind that A New Nigeria is possible.
Ironically, the likes of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar , 2023 presidential candidate of the PDP, Bola Tinubu, 2023 presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nasir Ahmed El’ Rufai, Kaduna State governor, Charles Chukwuma Soludo, Anambra State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State and APC Chieftain, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, a former governor of Imo State, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, Arthur Eze, Dino Melaye, spokesman of the PDP, Fani Kayode, Festus Keyamo, among others , underestimated Peter Obi and even maligned him in different public fora and television interviews before and during the electioneering season. Little did they know that ‘Peter the Rock’ would eventually take the world by storm like a hurricane.
In an interview granted to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in mid – 2022 by the British Broadcasting Corporation BBC; wherein he proudly and confidently questioned:
Where is Labour Party in this country, and what is Obi-dient? Where is the structure?
No single chairman of a local government council in Nigeria! No single seat in the State House of Assembly across the country! No state governor. No member of the House of Representatives. No Senator! Well, there is nothing wrong in starting, but you can’t start and be at the top the same time.
Adams Oshiomhole, in a related development, earlier dismissed the growing wave of Peter Obi’s popularity and his Obi-dient Movement as just a scenario of four people tweeting in a room. Social Media Party without PVCs; noise makers on the internet!
Contrary to the above assertion, Mr. Peter Fayose, a former governor of Ekiti State under the PDP, made a rather valid assertion during a recent interview with Arise TV immediately after last Saturday’s presidential election, when he posited as follows: “ If Peter Obi were to remain in PDP, they would lose with us. If Peter Obi comes back to the PDP again, he would no longer be popular. Peter Obi is the new brand.
Unfortunately, PDP thought this election would be business as usual (rigged in their favour). They never envisaged this Obi’s hurricane. If not, how would you explain PDP having 75000 votes in Lagos, while Obi is having almost 600,000 votes ? Peter Obi has become an issue in Nigeria. Peter Obi has become an institution. Peter Obi is a smart guy. You see him carrying his bag alone, enter the car alone. Peter Obi is a man of little words and little need. He deserves what is happening to him now; the sudden political turnaround. “
Judging from the foregoing, the Peter Obi Factor, no doubt, is an emerging phenomenon in the Nigerian political landscape and leadership discourse, which no sane mind or any reasonable homosapiens can wish away, no matter from whatever or whichever prism one looks at it. This factor has altered the already established political equation and permutation thus, it is one which has substantially shaped the outcome of the 2023 general elections with breathtaking performance across geopolitical zones as most people who couldn’t previously win elections in the last 16 years or so, became duly elected into the Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives because of the Obi Factor and political social re-engineering.
The unending popularity, acceptability, show of solidarity, national and global appeal, expressed love of Nigerian people across ethnic and religious lines for Peter Obi, Labour Party’s presidential candidate, has brought the party into national reckoning and consciousness, turning it into one that is feared by the failed leadership of the ruling APC and main opposition party, PDP.
Does any keen observer of the just concluded February 25, 2023 general elections, need to be told that the election came with shocking, unprecedented dynamics never witnessed before since the return of modern democracy in Nigeria; in 1999? A number of public and political analysts have also described the general elections as embarrassing given the fact that seven serving state governors who usually use national assembly as their retirement home, lost out in their bid to be elected into the 10th National Assembly. The most shocking and mind -blowing outcome of this election is the fact that Labour Party dislodged and unseated many serving federal lawmakers, including principal officers.
On the Imo West Senatorial District’s verdict , the rave of the moment and Labour Party’s frontline candidate for Orlu Senate, Chief Charles Ugochukwu Ahize-Chukwu (Akpuruka N’ Orlu), took the Imo political space by surprise as he ran for the first time against a known career politician and serial contestant in the politics of Orlu zone, Chief Osita Izunaso, of the APC; enjoying mass appeal, organic support of the grassroots and leadership of Imo West Senatorial District, as he took his political campaigns from ward to ward; community to community; LGA to LGA, until he walked his way into the hearts of Orlu people who came out en mass to vote for him. From available records and verifiable evidence, he could be said to have won the election which is now under litigation as Chief Osita Izunaso was wrongly declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
From Abia State down to Enugu State, Lagos to Benue State, we saw ordinary people, but popular, honest and determined candidates of Labour Party winning known and established names during the national assembly elections. As at Saturday, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, at a meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) at the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja, said in the Senate, the All Progressives Congress (APC) won 57 seats; the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won 29 seats; Labour Party (LP) won 6 seats; New Nigerian People’s Party (NPP) won 2 seats; Social Democratic Party (SDP) also won 2 seats; the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Young People’s Party (YPP) won 1 seat, respectively.
Also, in the House of Representatives, APC won 262 seats; PDP won 102 seats; Labour Party won 34 votes; APGA won 4 seats; African Democratic Party (ADC) and SDP won 2 seats each; while YPP won 1 seat.
Interestingly and surprisingly too, some of the notable Labour Party’s win included, defeat of the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ndudi Elumelu who was seeking re -election for fifth term. He was randomly defeated by the Labour Party’s candidate, Ngozi Okolie, in Aniocha|Oshimili Federal Constituency of Delta State. While Elumelu polled a total of 33, 456 votes, the Labour Party candidate polled a staggering 55, 879 votes to emerge winners thereby, sending Ndudi Elumelu back home to join his brother, Tony Elumelu’s Transcorp Group multi- billion Naira business conglomerate.
Back to the Peter Obi’s Factor and political evolution in Nigeria. It’s simply breathtaking; a spontaneous and uncommon movement beyond the comprehension and control of those involved, including pathfinders of the Third Force like Prof. Pat Utomi and even Peter Obi himself. While I am optimistic his stolen mandate will be graciously recovered, not like in the case of late M. K. O Abiola and his stolen June 12 , 1993 Mandate, Obi’s is a divine journey to take Nigerians out of the political shacks, shackles of poverty, underdevelopment and misery.
A man, whom many of the mainstream political class, beneficiaries of the corrupt and compromised system had severally made a public caricature of not having structure is now a political behemoth threatening the political stronghold of the old order.
You may deride Obi, ignore him, hate him and even brand him ‘Social Media President ‘ at your own peril. Obi is the new brand, bride and toast of the New Nigeria Project championed by the people. The organic love and support Nigerians have shown the name is not only mind-blowing but also unprecedented.
There is definitely none like it, you can neither pretend about this nor wish it away! Such fondness for a fair, tested and trusted politician cutting across geopolitical zones and ethnic nationalities has not been seen lately in the political history of Nigeria.
It’s an affection clearly built on Peter Obi’s track records of honesty, integrity, simplicity, frugality, capacity, competence and excellent character. Peter Obi is the latest pleasant surprise of the 21st century; he is a political revolutionary idea whose time has come. And it is only God that can cut down this Iroko tree.
