- He has exposed the dark secrets of bad governance in Nigeria, especially how politicians milk the public treasury for personal gain and leave the country bankrupt. No one else has had the courage to do this since 1960. Trapped by collective guilt, most politicians prefer to hide behind the code of silence. They are in shock.
- He has shown there is a better way to go – the way of honesty, prudence, service, self-sacrifice and accountability. Politicians worldwide, especially those of Nigerian extraction, hate these words.
- Thanks to Peter Obi the people of Nigeria have now seen the light and are moving fast towards it. That is bad business for the Old Order. Forces of darkness do not like light.
- They have tried to nail him several times and failed. He is too clean to be blackmailed. Sinners are always nervous among the righteous. He constantly challenges his listeners to verify his statements and claims. So far, they have found no dirt. If not, he would have been a guest of the EFCC for a long time now. When, a year or two ago, his opponents dug up his name from a pile of international businessmen with investments in tax heavens all over the world, they thought they finally nailed him. But the man cleverly explained they were legitimate investments he made before he became governor. He said he declared them or handed them over to trusted hands in compliance with public service regulations when he was elected Governor. He challenged his accusers to take him to court if they have a genuine case. Silence followed.
- He is too intelligent for their liking. Whenever he grabs a microphone, Mr. Obi speaks brilliantly and engagingly with facts and figures – no written speeches, notes and prompters. He makes them all look dumb. Against the backdrop of major national and party leaders who speak solely with the help of written speeches (and without which they make major gaffes), Peter Obi suddenly looks like a superstar. His ease with words dramatizes their inadequacies. They are jealous.
- The man is fearless. He is too bold to be intimidated. He says what he wants to say and goes where he wants to go without fear or fanfare. He mingles with the people. He shakes their hands. They love to take selfies with him. He has no airs. Regular politicians, on the other hand, need lorry loads of security men even to go to the toilet. On the roads, they drive around in armored cars with several truck loads of armed security men in long convoys. In public outings they are surrounded by walls of security agents paid to keep the led at bay. If you were in their shoes you’d be envious of Peter Obi also.
- If he succeeds, they are toast. They are like the Pharisees, Scribes and High Priests during the time of Jesus Christ. His message of deliverance to the poor, sick and oppressed is anathema to those who profit from the misery of the masses. So they are justifiably restless.
They will do anything to derail, defeat or deflate the Peter Obi Movement. First, they said he had no “political structures” to win an election; that his Labor Party was too small to deliver a Nigerian President. He countered that the millions of poor and unemployed Nigerians are his own “structure.” The people, especially the youths, agreed. The arrow backfired on the archer.
Next, they said he was an “Igbo Candidate” and no Igbo or clannish candidate can win the presidency without support from the other ethnic and regional groups. It was the classic ethnic line that usually divides Nigerians. But somehow, it doesn’t seem to be working this time. Before he could speak, supporters from all over the country spoke up to say they were not Igbo but they were already supporters of Peter Obi on account of his sterling qualities and the sound solutions he is proffering to national problems. A man from Northern Nigeria posted the story of how he told his aged mother of his intentions to vote for Peter Obi in 2023. Surprisingly, he said, his rural mother prayed for him and asked him to choose the best man for the job.
More recently, a controversial Catholic priest with a cult following in Peter Obi’s home region said Obi was too “stingy” to be president. Pronto, Obi’s followers flooded the internet with pictures and stories of his generous giving to worthy causes dating back many years. They said they prefer Obi’s “stinginess” which benefits the poor to the “generosity” of most other politicians in the country which only benefits a few in power. The Catholic priest was soon suspended by his bishop and was forced to issue an apology.
There is an old saying, “You can’t kill the Beetle.” So far, that seems to be the story of this new political wonder kid of Nigeria. He looks like Biblical Moses in the court of the Egyptian Pharaoh. Or David in the court of King Saul. The more they try to suppress him, the more he succeeds. Clearly, fresh clouds are gathering in Nigeria’s political firmaments. The next none months will be fascinating.
