Why Peter Obi must not be extinguished

Let  us invoke two rich Igbo proverbs in situating the fears expressed by the presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, on the threats to his life ahead of the 2027 general election. On one hand is the expression; “Ebule si na nwoke na-eri n’ude”. For want of perfect translation, it is an attribution to “a man bears his pains stoically”. It lectures that even in the thick of challenges, a man does not complain but goes through them with equanimity.   

There is a flipside of the philosophy. It goes thus; “So osisi huru onyike n’ukwu ya, ma kwuru” (It is only a tree that remains unmoved in the presence of an axe with which it could be mowed). The lesson is that a normal human being, runs for his dear life or raises alarm when he is assailed or perceives danger, especially the type he lacks the capacity to contend with. When the suspicion gravitates to possible threats to life and, curiously, from a source that ordinarily should offer succour at moments of uncertainty, it becomes an issue that commands attention.

Obi has weathered through both philosophical worlds and keeps going. Since 2023 when he made an audacious outing for the presidency on the platform of the Labour Party (LP), there has been the tendency by other political parties and their supporters of leaving the burning issues in the land and focusing on Peter Obi. The trend is usually manifested when chieftains of these other parties grant television or newspaper interviews. In such instances, Obi becomes the matter of discussion. As if these are not enough, hirelings have been unleashed on the internet and other social media networks with precise briefs to attack and bruise the image of Obi. Foot soldiers of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC), are the most visible in this cheap exercise. In doing this, there is nothing being spared, including Obi’s family and his private life. With the race for the 2027 politics gradually gathering steam, the onslaught has been intensified, hence Obi’s outcry that he may not be alive to contest the poll, on account of frustrating experiences he is getting from the presidency.

Obi made the disclosure in a podcast interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo while responding to a question on the possibility of his not being a candidate in 2027.  He said, “Not even a candidate. I might not even be alive. I’m telling you. Every single thing I do for a living, this government is frustrating it. Deliberately so. Everything. So, there is even a possibility, if they have the opportunity, I will not be alive”. In a system that places premium on the welfare and protection of its citizens, the lamentation by Obi deserves serious attention, not only because of who he is – a former governor of Anambra State and employer of labour – but for what he represents –  a presidential candidate of a major political party with robust ideas on how the country can be lifted from its current comatose state. But rather than taking a critical look at the alarm by Obi, President Tinubu’s media adviser, Bayo Onanuga, has in his usual manner of reducing serious national issues to the casual “us and them” level dismissed Obi as “a pathological and serial liar, intent on dragging the government into every personal inconvenience he encounters, often resorting to exaggeration and baseless allegations”.

The question remains: Is Obi a serial liar as Onanuga alleged? Is Obi merely raising a red herring or shedding crocodile tears? The facts speak for themselves and, of course, to the contrary. Let’s start with the events of 2023 shortly after the presidential election, when the same Onanuga, then, APC Presidential Campaign Council media director, had mocked; “Let 2023 be the last time of Igbo interference in Lagos politics. Let there be no repeat in 2027. Lagos is like Anambra, Imo, any Nigerian state. It is not No Man’s Land, not Federal Capital Territory. It is Yoruba land. Mind your business”. Calls on him to pull the brake on the dangerous path he was toeing did not deter Onanuga. He rather boasted; “Let me make myself abundantly clear: the views I express on Twitter are my personal views. I don’t owe anyone any apology for addressing the existential threats of our people. I am after all, first of all a Yoruba, before being a Nigerian”. It was obvious that he was throwing direct broadsides at Obi, who had beaten Tinubu silly in the election. Onanuga was not reprimanded over the lousy outing but was rather rewarded with his present office.

Fast forward to the present when President Tinubu’s garrulous aides, Daniel Bwala and Reno Omokri, had at a time, boasted that Obi would not be on ballot in 2027. Those were not thtreats that should ordinarily be taken lightly because they were deep and ominous. Recall, also that in January 2025, when Obi cried out that things were going out of control in the country while state officials kept deluding the people, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, accused him of inciting Nigerians to bring down the government, declaring; “Obi has crossed the red line so many times, whatever he has coming to him, he should manage it”. Morka was not known to have been called to order by the security agents for the unguarded remarks.

Rather, two APC governors, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia of Benue State and his Edo counterpart, Monday Okpebholo, who have been very low in public performance rating, saw in moving against Obi, a shortcut to relevance. In April of same year, Governor Alia issued a directive preventing Obi from visiting and impacting on inmates of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camps in Benue, citing frivolous reasons.

Okpebholo followed suit by warning Obi to obtain security clearance before visiting Edo state or take whatever that comes to him. Obi’s “sin” was visiting the state capital, on July 7, 2025 and donating N15m to St. Philomena Hospital School of Nursing Sciences for the completion of some projects in the school. Okpebholo lacked the grace to appreciate the gesture, preferring to halt Obi from extending similar goodwill to other institutions in the state. In curious coincidence, on February 24 this year, Obi visited Edo and his convoy was attacked by hoodlums. The link between the threat by the governor in July 2025 and the attack on Obi on February 24, 2026 in same Edo, can therefore be imagined.

Elsewhere in Anambra State, the governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has been attacking Obi at all fronts and putting up all manners of childish antics at winning President Tinubu’s favours. Same goes with the pint-sized former Ebonyi state governor and Minister for works, David Umahi. Lately, the discredited former Borno governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, who has been severally indicted for initiating the Boko Haram murderous group that has caused pains and tears on Nigerians, has been recruited into the anti-Peter Obi campaign. The other day, Sheriff was before the Lagos-based Channels Television, where he humoured himself with unfounded assertions that Obi would not secure the support of Northern voters in the 2027 presidential election. Obviously lacking in facts and integrity, Sheriff alleged that Obi believes in Biafra and is pursuing the division of Nigeria through his presidential ambition. The television appearance was not incidental. It was engineered, apparently to position Obi and his supporters as targets of attacks by terrorists and other shades of criminals in many parts of the country.

In a saner society, the likes of Modu sheriff, given the allegations against him of orchestrating Boko Haram group that has killed many Nigerians, displaced families and threatened the sovereignty of the nation, should be hiding his face in shame. But he is among the President’s attack dogs against Obi. A man associated with the volume of blood that Boko Haram has shed on the land being recruited against a helpless Nigerian as  Obi, certainly gives cause for concern.

What then remains for Obi to assume or even conclude that his life is under threats? Is it when he is eventually liquidated? Should he keep mute while his enemies do their worst? The truth is that the NDC candidate has raised an alarm that is valid in all ramifications. It is equally worth reminding President Tinubu that the welfare and security of the citizens and their property, remain the primary functions of the government. This obligation extends to Nigerians outside the APC membership. In that regard, Peter Obi must not be extinguished under whatever guise.