Love him or hate him, one undeniable fact about the former governor of Anambra State and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr Peter Obi, is that he represents what the ideal politician should be like and his ideological approach to partisan politics needs to be studied, practiced and imbibed by those who seek or hold public offices.
Always sticking to the issue, he has refused to be dragged to the gutters, the familiar terrain of lots of our politicians, or allowed power or influence to get to his head.
While others have resorted to the disgusting exhibition or flaunting of stolen wealth, he maintains a simplicity of life that is fast disappearing from our national life. How he has managed to stick to the issue while others have made a career of hauling insults at him remains a mystery. Simply put, Peter Obi should be studied.
Prior to the 2023 elections, we had advised that the phenomenon called Peter Obi, is not restricted to the social media space, therefore, ignoring him would be at the detriment or peril of whoever chooses to ignore him as no threat or takes him as a mere social media creation. So it turned out eventually.
Fast forward to 2026, with the 2027 elections fast approaching, still Obi’s influence seems as strong, if not even stronger than it was at the last dispensation.
One of the reasons addused for the failure of the opposition in the 2023 presidential election was the fragmentation of votes as a result of the opposition’s refusal to unite and forge a common front against the APC. That same scenario, curiously, is playing out again in 2026. Everyone in the opposition wants to be president. If that error failed to deliver the desired result in 2023, why do they still think going that route will be any different now?
In 2015, everyone involved in the coalition of forces that birthed APC wanted to be president as well. From Muhammadu Buhari, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Abubakar Atiku and Rotimi Amaechi, etc, all desired that office. But common sense prevailed. They knew that Buhari stood a better chance than any of them. They knew that the cult-like image of Buhari in the north would guarantee them the vote from North.
There was also the realisation that going by the unwritten code of power rotation, it was the turn of the North after eight years of Olusegun Obasanjo, the unfortunate death of Musa Yar’Adua and the almost six years of Goodluck Jonathan.
Tinubu knew it would be difficult to go against that arrangement, while Atiku, having been defeated at the primary by Buhari, also had to throw his weight behind Buhari. After all, the common goal and overriding interest of the northern elite was for power to return to that region. Atiku supported that agenda wholeheartedly. He even seconded some personal aides to Buhari to pursue that agenda.
Strangely, after Buhari and again four years after Tinubu, Atiku is still pursuing his presidential ambition with so much gusto and in complete disregard of the regional rotation agenda, which brought Buhari to power.
Personally, yours truly is not a fan of the rotation of power or any such arrangements which often tends to lower the standards and which seeks to relegate to the background or sacrifice merit on the altar of tribe, religion or clannish sentiments.
Do we need the gift of clairvoyance for all to agree that this arrangement of rotation has and will continue to remain an albatross in our bid to keep abreast with the rest of the world?
However, since that desired future is not here yet, the opposition should realise that they do not stand a chance against President Tinubu going into the election the same way they did in 2023.
As things are now, ADC would have remained the nightmare it was with the ruling party, but for the defection of Obi to NDC. Truth be told, defeat is already staring the opposition in the face. If not for anything, they need a common front to safeguard their votes in 2027. With the resources available to APC, they will easily outman the already fragmented opposition in 2027.
The decision of Obi to quit the Labour Party for the ADC appeared like finally the missing link in the political jigsaw puzzle of the opposition has been found, but unfortunately, it was an anticlimactic letdown.
The phenomenonal attraction and followership that Buhari enjoyed in 2015 can only be matched by that of Peter Obi today. Like it or not, it’s not like these men are any special but at a time in a man’s life, when Grace begins to speak for you, it’s beyond the individuals concerned, so fighting them will amount to inadvertently enhancing their profile the more.
That is the grace that Obi enjoys today. Fighting and disparaging him only works in his favour. In fact, ignoring him is the best option for those against him. Anyone doing the opposite against Obi is doing his party a disservice.
How else can anyone explain the current wave of movements from other parties to the relatively unknown NDC? How can anyone rationalise the influx of over 20 federal legislators in one day to NDC. Even Obi will be pinching himself from time to time wondering if this is all real or a dream. Again, he simply enjoys grace.
For those who disparage him for being afraid of going into party primaries for his tickets, I am sure that they are just being mischievous because even they know that given the nature of our politics and Obi’s stands on the role of money in our politics he stands no chance against any of those eyeing that office. Or who does not know that primaries and delegates are for the highest bidders?
In fact, but for Tinubu’s support in both human and material resources, Buhari would have been beaten hands down at the Lagos APC primary that produced him.
For the opposition, if the desire is to wrestle power from APC in 2027, the only option opened to it, is to reenact that 2015 formula, where the candidate with the best chance from the south is paired with a running mate that enjoys such grace too from the North. They should enjoy the backing and support of all, or their ambition will remain a mirage. After all, in four years, Atiku might still have the chance if he enjoys the support of the voters.
Doing otherwise will simply translate to making the 2027 contest an easy ride for the sitting president.
Given our brand of politics, it is not always about gaining the votes. It’s also about the ability to secure them.
This is not rocket science. It’s common sense.
