What Are Peter Obi’s Offenses Against His ‘Brothers’ Since He Threw His Hat Into The Presidential Ring? -By Isaac Asabor

There is no denying the fact that the essence of democracy is the participation of citizens in the process of government. At the most basic level, participation involves selecting leaders for the nation, the states, and the various local governments through the electoral process.

Popular participation also includes the examination of government and public officials to determine their fitness for serving the people. Discussions, criticisms, and suggestions collectively play a part in the orderly transition of governments and elected leaders. The right to speak and oppose, no doubt, is inherent in a nation governed by popularly elected leaders.

Analyzed from the prism of the foregoing backdrop, it can be said in this context that one of the reasons that may have compelled not a few people; both politicians and non-politicians to be unjustifiably and relentlessly carrying out an orchestrated campaign of calumny and mudslinging against the person of Mr. Peter Obi, the presidential flagbearer of the Labor Party (LP) is ignorance of the dynamics of the freedom of expression.

Since he threw his hat into the ring ahead of the presidential election that is scheduled to be conducted on 25, February 2023, he has remained an object of a campaign of calumny in the camp of his opponents and their agents.

There is no scintilla of hyperbole to say that the right to discuss about him, the right to criticize him, the right to oppose his candidacy, the right to say any shit anyone wants to say about him, which are dimensions of free speech and free press, and are collectively at the centre of the philosophy behind the ongoing electioneering, are unexpectedly been abused; even by his own fellow ‘Ndigbo’. Identifying his major traducers from the African context, it is apt to say that he is been opposed and fought by his own brothers since he threw his hat into the ring towards the fulfillment of his presidential ambition.

Without resorting to trivializing anyone’s personality in this piece, it is expedient to say that the unanimity of admonitions about household enemies that the Bible is replete with is by each passing day finding expression in Obi’s candidacy, particularly in his ongoing electioneering. For the sake of clarity, the Bible teaches that household enemies are from our family members.

According to Matthew chapter 10 verse 36, “A man’s enemies will be those of his own household”. In all ages, human beings have had to contend with the problem of household enemies. However, by household enemies in this piece, I am not talking only about biological family members who work against one’s interests. I use the term to refer to people close or closest to one, particularly by ethnicity or tribe, who use the advantage of the brotherly relationship that exists between them to fight one another.

Such people can work alone and fight for a reason or some other reasons that may be considered to be selfish in nature. They can fight against one spiritually or physically, or both. They can also recruit others close to one or outsiders to join them in their fight to achieve a common goal or obtain some benefits. In some cases, they may join the army of one’s enemies and give them the information they have about one, which would help their common cause. There is a truth in the belief that some operations cannot succeed unless there is an insider who divulges some secrets or shares some intelligence.

Against the foregoing backdrop, “Are household enemies among the people Obi is bound to face as he aspires to become Nigerian President, come 2023?” The foregoing question cannot be farfetched as not a few Nigerians have been witnessing how he is been attacked by his own people from “behind”, “right-left-and-center”.

For instance, a few months ago, Rev. Ejike Mbaka of the popular Adoration Ministry in Emene (AMEN), Enugu State had during his ministration, accused Obiof being “stingy” and, because he had cursed him, he will not win the 2023 presidential election. In fact, the reasonableness behind the statement could not be fathomed by many Nigerians in the Christendom, particularly as it was supposedly borne out of what transpired between Fr. Mbaka and Peter Obi in the past. In a viral video, during the AMEN bazaar, the fiery Priest was seen, cajoling Obi to donate money to the Church but the former Anambra State Governor, in his usual manner, requested for a church project which he would work and finish; ostensibly for the sake of accountability.

However, just a few weeks ago, precisely in October, Mbaka denied that he prophesied against Obi through a video he shared on Facebook just before heading to the monastery. He clarified that he did not mention Obi or talked about him during the said service, adding that it was the work of purveyors of fake news.

He said: “After handing over to Fr. Anthony Amadi on Sunday, I started hearing that Fr. Mbaka spoke against Peter Obi. ‘I, Rev. Fr. Mbaka, on that Sunday never mentioned Peter not to talk of Obi.’

“Please, whoever is being used by the devil to blackmail me in the name of doing any job for anybody is satanic and should apologize, withdraw such nefarious and satanic utterance and be careful when you want to harm the image of a man of God”.

In a similar vein, it will be recalled that Netizens in the month of June vehemently criticized former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu for saying the South-East region will not vote for Obi, in the 2023 presidential election.

If I may ask, “What are Peter Obi’s offenses against his ‘brothers’ since he threw his hat into the presidential ring?

Ekweremadu said, “I assure you that South East will vote for the People Democratic Party (PDP). I can guarantee that. No doubt Peter Obi is our son, but you need to be dynamic. You need to ask yourself, can Peter win the presidential election? Can the East afford to throw away their votes? Can we afford to be sentimental in matters that concern our people, our children, and our future? No”

As if Ekweremadu expressed the opinion of his co-travelers when he mischievously decreed failure against Obi that he cannot win next year’s election, Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has shared a similar mawkishness. Soludo has said Obi knows he is going nowhere as far as the 2023 presidency is concerned.

He was reported to have said, “Let’s be clear: Peter Obi knows that he can’t and won’t win. He knows the game he is playing, and we know too, and he knows that we know. The game he is playing is the main reason he didn’t return to APGA.

“The brutal truth (and some will say, God, forbid) is that there are two persons/parties seriously contesting for president: the rest is exciting drama! That many Americans may not like the fact that Joe Biden (79 years) and Donald Trump (76 years) are two frontrunners for president in their parties does not remove the fact that if both of them emerge as candidates, definitely one of them will be president in 2024.

“As my brother, I wish him well and even pray for him… Indeed, there is no credible pathway for him near the first two positions, and if care is not taken, he won’t even near the third position. Analysts tell him you don’t need “structure” to win. Fantasy! Of course, LP won governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun on social media and via phantom polls, while getting barely 2,000 votes on the ground. Creating a credible third force for the presidential election in Nigeria requires a totally different strategy and extreme hard work.”

It is also apt in this context to recall that one of his “brothers” in the Aniocha part of Delta State, Ned Nwoko disparaged Obi’s presidential candidacy when he said at a parley with BBC that he lacks the structure required to lead the country.

He said, “Peter Obi is a good man and has impressed me. When he came to London he came alone. He’s a capitalist, a big-time player in the business world, and conservative in how he handles things.

“I will like him back in PDP, he will do well as Minister of Economy, and he will help us turn around Nigeria’s economy.

The former House of Representatives member also noted that certain factors in the Labour Party would hinder Obi from unseating the ruling the party.

In as much as yours sincerely is not calculatedly whipping tribal and sentiments in this piece but to buttress his view, it is exigent to say that I am bothered, particularly as an Igboman in Diaspora in Edo State.