In a fair presidential election, Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) will get 25% in over 24 states in the upcoming 2023 general elections, Democratic Leadership (DL), said of Obi. “Many are still surprised at how Obi has taken the country by storm since decamping from The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), where he was the running mate of Atiku Abubakar in 2019.
Younger generations under 30 proved to be some of the biggest Obi supporters, showing their support via social media and protests, and street marches. Aisha Yesufu, a prominent activist noted as the co-founder of the #BringBackOurGirls movement and a supporter of the EndSARS campaign endorsed Obi in her first-ever endorsement of a presidential candidate.”
Young supporters of Obi’s campaign have been nicknamed “Obidients. In an article in BusinessDay, it was argued that “[The Obi-Dients] are attracted by Peter Obi’s ideology of frugality, economic production rather than the ostentatious consumerism and waste, and resourceful management and investment in key sectors, for economic growth and development.”
Commentators have argued that Obi’s third-party candidacy appeals to young voters dissatisfied with the two major parties, which has resulted in the “biggest political movement in recent Nigerian history.” With his core message of prudence and accountability, Obi has managed to gain the backing of voters for his previously largely unknown LP and transformed it into a strong third force against two political heavyweights.
Before campaigns were officially kicked off, Obi’s supporters held a series of One Million Man Marches in several Nigerian cities, including Makurdi, Calabar, Lafia, Port Harcourt, Afikpo, Owerri, Enugu, Auchi, Abuja, Kano, Ilorin, Abakaliki and Ibadan. The marches were not part of the official campaigns; as they were led by volunteer Obi supporters and not Obi’s in-house team or political party. The marches experienced massive turnouts.
Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education in Nigeria, in an interview with Channels Television, said that Nigerian women are more inclined toward the Presidency of Peter Obi.
It is known that Obi has all the qualities to become the next president of this country, but many supporters from other parties still doubt his abilities. However, City People has decided to look at his chances at the poll, hence this listing of the 10 reasons why Obi will become the next president of Nigeria come May 29th, 2023. Below are the reasons.
POPULARITY AND ‘CONTESTANTS’ FANBASE
In July 2022, Virginus Alajekwu C (Don Solace), the Chief Executive Officer of Afobata Co LTD said that considering the popularity and contestants’ fanbase, he is ticking Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi to emerge victorious.
“Peter Obi, without any doubt, is going to be the winner of the 2023 general election. The popularity the man is enjoying on social media does not end there because the number of people supporting him offline is more than that of online.
“2023 election will be beyond and there will be no room for rigging because the youth are really out. “I have come to terms with my observations about supporters of the presidential flag bearers of APC, PDP, and LP.”
According to him, supporters of APC/Tinubu are mostly those that rely on government patronage, the existing corrupt system, brief-case/portfolio contractors, and businessmen who have no viable means of livelihood or ability to create wealth outside of government. They depend solely on the government to live.
“The supporters of PDP/Atiku are mainly those who did not benefit from APC’s maladministration, with the hope that Atiku’s presidency will somehow allow them to make money from the treasury, they are so used to free money from their days in government that the last 7 years have so impoverished them and they can’t wait to take over.
“They have almost the same Ideology as the APC except that one is in power and the other can’t wait to replace the other in power. Nothing dissimilar.”
“As for LP/Obidients, the supporters are mostly self-reliant people, whose only dream is to have a working government. They believe Nigeria has great and enormous potential and can work again. They want a new beginning for Nigeria; a change from the endemic corruption that has been the bane of Nigeria’s development. They want a RESET,” he said.
CITIZENS ARE TIRED OF THE MAINSTREAM RULING ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC) AND THE PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP)
Political pundits believe that the wide support and acceptance Obi enjoys across the country represents a damning rejection of APC and PDP, as both parties appear to be losing their social base, at the backdrop of poor performance and growing mistrust in the polity, leaving the Labour Party to be consolidating its base.
The zest with which Obi speaks about the envisioned new Nigeria under his leadership; the promise of giving the country back to the real owners- the masses of the country, and the excruciating pain being experienced by the masses of Nigeria, may have combined to swell support across the country for Peter Obi.
CHRISTIAN VOTES
It is obvious that the northern votes will be divided between Tinubu (as a Muslim), Atiku, and Kwankwaso (if he did not withdraw before then), and Peter Obi will get at least 20% votes from the north, which will make him favourite to clinch more than 85% of Christian votes in the north.
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ENERGY
At the first and second convocation ceremonies of the Dominican University, Ibadan, Obi, while expressing optimism about his chances of securing maximum votes in the southwest zone of the country in the 2023 election, said, “The job requires a lot of physical and mental energy; it’s for you to assess who is most likely to do the job, for me, it is to secure and unite Nigeria, ensure that we move it from consumption to production, that is the only way we can pull people out of poverty, by creating jobs and creating opportunities and things will begin to turn around if we are able to do that,” Obi said.
ENDORSEMENTS
BY ELDER STATESMEN AND AN OPPOSITION GOVERNOR
On January 1st, 2023, the former president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo endorsed Peter Obi as his preferred choice for president in this month’s election. The former president gave his endorsement in an open letter to young Nigerians that Sunday.
“None of the contestants is a saint but when one compares their character, antecedent, understanding, knowledge, discipline, and vitality that they can bring to bear and the great efforts required to stay focused on the job, particularly looking at where the country is today and with the experience on the job that I personally had, Peter Obi as a mentee has an edge. Others like all of us have what they can contribute to the new dispensation to liberation, restoration, and salvaging of Nigeria collectively. “One other important point to make about Peter is that he is a needle with thread attached to it from North and South and he may not get lost,” he wrote.
In the same vein, Gov. Samuel Ortom, Pa Edwin Clark, Pa Adebanjo, Middle Belt elders, and many others also endorsed Obi, which stirred controversies amongst the PDP and APC camps.
ACHIEVEMENTS
AS A GOVERNOR IN ANAMBRA STATE
It is recorded that Anambra was the first state to commence Sub-Sovereign Wealth savings, the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa.He confirmed this when he said, “At a time many other Governors were leaving huge debts, I left the equivalent of $500 million dollars in investment as well as local and foreign currency, including $156 million in Dollar-denominated bonds.
For the first time in the history of Anambra State, Ambassadors and High Commissioners of notable countries such as the United States, Britain, Russia, the European Union, South Africa, Belgium, Israel, the Netherlands, and Canada, among others, visited the state. Before my tenure, Anambra was practically a pariah state blacklisted by the Diplomatic Corps and international development partners.
The State’s ground-breaking return of schools to their original owners – Voluntary Agencies (Churches) on 1st January, 2009, and subsequent partnership with the Agencies in Education, saw the state move from 24th position out of 36 states to Number One in the National Examination Council (NECO) and West African Examination Council (WAEC) examinations for three consecutive years. This made the World Bank commission a study, led by the renowned Prof. Paul Collier of Oxford University, on this revolutionary partnership and phenomenal achievement. And many others”.
TRANSPARENCY
Peter Obi is the only governor in the history of Nigeria to call the ICPC and EFCC to audit his accounts at the end of his tenure. He paid all gratuities, pensions, and salaries during his tenure and cleared the backlog, and refused to collect a pension after ruling as a governor to date.
#ENDSARS, NEW NAIRA NOTES, AND FUEL SCARCITY
Nigerians, especially the youth, will not forget what happened at Lekki Toll Gate on October 20th, 2020, the anger and the way this APC government treated its citizens while protesting for change on how the police are brutalizing the youths.
The effect of the new cashless policy forcefully imposed on the people by this government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emeifele with banks closed or unable to give cash.
The scarcity of fuel is another issue, it’s either you don’t get, or you buy at 3 times the cost.
STATE OF THE NATION
The hunger in the nation can be traced to the past and present governments, because of the hike in prices of food and basic amenities. Not forgetting the bandits and kidnappers that this government chose not to act about.
A list of over 400 Boko Haram sponsors has not been released by this government and killing is still on. How will this government retain power with all this suffering?
AGE
Peter Obi is 61, Bola Tinubu is 70 and Atiku Abubakar is 76. We all know that a younger mind can take in many things and solve them in time, unlike an elderly man that will need others to bail him out.
GOOD KNOWLEDGE OF THE ECONOMY
In September 2022, Obi, in an interview on the Cables News Network (CNN) programme, “Zain Exchange” on how to stabilise the economy, Obi stated that if the spate of insecurity is checked, farmers, especially in Northern Nigeria, would be able to go back to the farm.
“One is that you have to deal decisively with insecurity. It is impacting negatively on your economy today. Because you have to get your farmers to go back to the farm and start ensuring that the vast land of the North is invested and cultivated. You have to start pulling people out of poverty as quickly as possible, “Obi said.
Speaking further, Obi lamented the misrule and incompetent leadership in Nigeria in recent decades, saying that there was no justification for the country’s refineries to remain non-functional.
He said the removal of fuel subsidies would encourage private investment in the building of refineries, while funds could be channeled to other critical sectors for the benefit of the populace.
“There is no reason why our refineries should not work. Remove fuel subsidies and use the money to support critical areas such as; education, and health, this can be done within the shortest possible time”, he added.
-Benprince Ezeh
08068599879
