I recommend that The Peter Obi Phenomenon be studied. I’d be among the inaugural students.
By Fred Chukwuelobe
Yesterday, March 25, 2023, Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State marked his one year in office. To celebrate the day, he invited eminent Nigerians among who are former president, Olusegun Obasanjo; former governor of the State and presidential candidate of the Labour Party in controversial February 25, 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi.
In the run-up to the presidential election, Governor Soludo wrote scathing letters and spoke disdainful words against Mr. Peter Obi and his ambition. He said matter-of-fact that the latter was wasting his time and won’t win. He went further to state that by running, Mr. Peter Obi was making the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s pathway to victory easy.
Typically, Mr. Peter Obi responded as only he could. Calm. Calculated. Measured. Rather than be rattled by Soludo’s tirade and respond in kind, he gained more traction and respect by his response.
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The election has come and gone or not, really. Obi is challenging the declaration of Tinubu, and rightly so. In Saner Climes, Obi would have been preparing for his inauguration as president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Unfortunately, Nigeria is not a sane clime.
Enough said.
I have decided to caption my article, “The Peter Obi Phenomenon,” because his entry into and exploits in our political trajectory has been phenomenal. Apart from his legal battles to regain his mandate as governor of Anambra State, his struggle to retain power, his being the running mate to Atiku Abubakar four years ago, and now his being the candidate of the Labour Party has been intriguing as much as it has become a reference point. Nobody ever thought you could win an election in Nigeria without a structure and without spending billions. Peter Obi proved that possible.
Now, back to Anambra State and Soludo’s one-year anniversary.
The entry of Peter Obi was earth shaking. The crowd almost pulled down the roof with ovation, literally speaking. If you didn’t know who Peter Obi is, you’d have thought he was the one celebrating the anniversary, even though knowing him, he’d have nothing to do with such grandiose event.
I was in awe of this man. I had goose bumps. Even former President Olusegun Obasanjo was mesmerised. I could hear him saying in soliloquy, ‘I am glad I endorsed him’. Governor Soludo didn’t show any emotions, but I could hazard a guess that he asked himself if that letter and his words against the man were necessary.
After that triumphant entry into a state, he was the first governor to serve two-terms. Some of his fiercest critics have begun to walk back on their opposition to the man of the people. Firstly, Reno Omokiri, former aide to former president Goodluck Jonathan. The loquacious Reno took to his social media handle to apologise to Mr. Peter, whom he had erroneously claimed, rigged an election in Anambra State to score 97 per cent win. Reno said that with what he saw yesterday, Peter Obi could have comfortably scored that, and even more.
Hail Peter!
I’d suggest that one university in Nigeria establish a professorial chair to study the Peter Obi Phenomenon. Who is he? What makes the man thick? What brought him thus far. How did he do it. Where does he go from here. Are there lessons from his journey? How can it be sustained? How can it be translated into victory by stopping rigging? Etc.
To imagine that he is frugal, does not give ‘shi shi’, had no political structure, was opposed mainly by political leaders from his geopolitical zone, yet pulled off one of the biggest political victories in the nation’s democracy march is, indeed, phenomenal.
I recommend that The Peter Obi Phenomenon be studied. I’d be among the inaugural students.
Fred Chukwuelobe, a senior journalist, is also a public affairs analyst.