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The crowd that surged towards Peter Obi as he was leaving the campaign grounds in Enugu last week did not mean to compromise his security. It was just a typical Peter Obi crowd whose level of excitement is beyond ordinary. Apparently scared by the determination of some of the excited youths to get close to Peter and, possibly, touch his garment just like the woman with haemorrhages in the Bible who was bent on touching the fringe of Jesus’ clothes, the pilot of the chopper with which Peter came to the campaign grounds whisked him away.
But Peter was anything but scared. He was still waving at the crowds even while he was seated in the chopper. He knew they meant no harm. He has encountered their type before. He has seen them across the country. He has walked the streets with them in places like Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Owerri, among some other places.
Indeed, there is something about the crowds that follow Peter Obi wherever he goes. They are a living and excited crowd, full of vitality and enthusiasm. You do not need any effort to bring them together. They come on their own without prompting. What appeared to have made all the difference in Enugu was that the crowd did not just want him to go. His presence had excited them to no end. He had spoken to them. They had chorused in approval. But they wanted more. They just could not get enough of the man that makes their head turn torrent. Contrary to the fear that has been expressed in some circles that some elements among the crowd wanted to mob him, the human traffic was a friendly one. They surged towards him in expectation. They felt that a little more closeness to him was what they needed to reassure them that an Obi has come.
Beyond the symbolism of an organic crowd, those who rushed towards Obi as he made for his chopper were driven by the prospects of a new Nigeria. An association or identification with whatever Peter represents is enough for them. That is all they want. And so, from east to west, north to south, the crowds are there, spontaneous in their disposition and bearing.
This contrasts very sharply with what obtains when the other presidential candidates who are in competition with Obi are visiting or stepping out to be heard or seen. Elaborate and laborious preparations are usually made. Party stalwarts will be under obligation to activate their structures. They even go outside the structures to hire as many people as are ready to be paid. Buses are hired and filled with paid agents whose duty is to fill the space and cheer the visitor. The idea is to give the impression that the visitor is welcome and well received by the crowd. But it is all about appearance. The reality is a world away from what you see.
The animated crowds of Peter Obi did not just happen. We are all aware of how it all started. The Obi candidacy came like a thunderbolt. It was never imagined or expected to happen to the Nigerian polity. As a people, Nigerians are used to the old, jaded way of doing things. Anything out of the ordinary is seen as strange in the Nigerian political space. What sells is the familiar. When, therefore, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) produced their presidential candidates, the arrangement and outcome fitted into the familiar mould. Nigerians were neither excited nor surprised. The normal had taken place. There was, therefore, no reason to expect anything new.
But what drew exhilarating attention was the emergence of Obi from a fringe party called Labour Party. Much more than that, it was his persona that really ignited the fire that has been raging across the country. Peter Obi is one man who has been known to do things differently. A man whose story is a tale of the unusual, Obi has come to occupy an enviable space in the minds of Nigerians. This is especially so among the youth who have silently been yearning for change. Nigeria, you will agree, has never worked and the youth have been the worse for it. They are worried that the old order has frittered away whatever opportunity that exists for them. They are frightened that their tomorrow could be eroded, if the pillaging by the old order is not halted. They cannot afford to continue to sit askance while the country is taken to the gallows. They want something to be done and urgently too. The Peter Obi candidacy represents that something. That explains their excitement and great expectations.
But if the Peter Obi mystique were just about the excitement of the youth and their crowds, it probably would not have endured. The fact is that the man himself is a load of newness. He represents a certain kind of change, the type that has never been seen in these shores. Since he stepped out to canvass for votes, his messaging has been remarkably different. He does not come across like the typical Nigerian politician whose public speeches generate pious lies. Rather, he affects the heart and soul of the people through his targeted and well delivered messages. At every turn, he has a word that addresses a particular issue that has been plaguing the country. He proffers uncommon solutions. And not a few believe him. They know that he speaks from the heart. They know that he means well.
Again, this is in clear contrast with what issues forth from those who are squaring up against him. One example will suffice. What can we say is the message of Bola Tinubu of APC? Nigerians can hardly point at anything. The man is driven more by entitlement mentality than anything else. He does not think that Nigerians need a message to take home. What he understands how best to do is to dispense favours. Lately, a lot of issues have been raised about his health. But like the smart alec that he is, he has been trying to cover up his infirmity. That explains his behaviour at his rallies. Since he has no message of any sort, he just waves the broom and gesticulates, just to give the impression that he is physically fit. But discerning Nigerians are not taken in by this antic.
With just a little over one month to the presidential election, the world is waiting to see what Nigerians will do with the opportunity that the Peter Obi candidacy presents. The youthful crowds have not thinned out. They have been resilient. Those behind the human traffic have proved beyond any shadow of doubt that they are not a flash in the pan. Indeed, history beckons.
