Support for former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, has grown in leaps and bounds since he defected to the Labour Party (LP), under whose platform he intends to contest the 2023 presidential election

Since the 2015, the presidential election has always been a two-horse race between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the major opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Several attempts by well-meaning Nigerians to form a ‘Third Force’ political movement that can wrest power from these two never yielded any positive result.

Even former President Olusegun Obasanjo tried to dislodge the APC and PDP through a Third Force movement in the 2019 general elections but failed. In 2018, Obasanjo, gauging the mood of the nation called for the establishment of a third force, which he called the ‘Coalition for Nigeria’. This coalition, he believed, would wrest power from the two main political parties.

In his controversial ‘special statement’, titled ‘The Way Out: A Clarion Call For Coalition For Nigeria Movement,” he dismissed the ability of both the APC and the PDP, under which he became president and ruled for eight years, to change the fortunes of the country for the better. He also said President Muhammadu Buhari has failed Nigerians and urged him to honourably “dismount from the horse. The coalition soon collapsed before the 2019 presidential election and Buhari was elected for another term.

Following the #EndSARS movement that shook the foundations of Nigeria in 2020, some Nigerian youths frustrated with developments in the country decided to ‘jakpa’ the local parlance for fleeing the country in search of greener pastures. However, many others who are desirous of a new change vowed to take their destinies in their hands by voting out the current establishment and enthroning a new government which is youth-friendly, masses-oriented and passionate about restoring the country to its good old days.

When it appears that all hope has been lost and the two political parties will have the last laugh as usual, former Anambra state governor, Peter Obi rekindled the hope of the youths and other patriotic Nigerians when he announced his resignation from the PDP and joined the Labour Party (PDP). Obi, who had earlier picked the PDP Expression of Interest and Nomination forms was planning to run on joint ticket with Atiku Abubakar just like they did in 2019 but that was vehemently resisted by PDP governors who demanded that Atiku must pick one of them as running mate if he clinches the ticket.

Obi’s entrance into the race elicited joy and acclaim from many youths who are already began a nationwide mass movement for his presidential ambition. His loyalists who described him as the authentic ‘Third Force’ said they are declaring support for him as the man with the track record to turn around the fortunes of Nigeria. These youths who tagged themselves as ‘Obidient Nigerians’ have vowed to use the power of their votes to enthrone him as president in 2023. To achieve this, they have been creating mass awareness calling on Nigerians to go get their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) so that they can exercise their civic rights in the 2023 presidential election. Many of them have replaced their social media photographs with that of Obi and the Labour Party logo.

With the knowledge that winning a presidential election is a huge capital-intensive project that can only be achieved with the support of moneybags, many ‘Obidient’ youths are already mobilising finances for Obi just like they did during the #EndSARS protest. Also, many students who have been left idle at home due to the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have also offered themselves as volunteers for Obi’s presidential aspirations.

Already, several Nigerian celebrities such as twin singing sensation, Peter and Paul Okoye (Psquare), actor Chidi Mokeme and comedian Okey Bakassi have endorsed Peter Obi, while some have also offered to put up free shows for him in order to mobilise Nigerians to get their PVCs.

Few days ago, Peter Obi tackled Ovation Magazine publisher and Presidential aspirant of the PDP, Dele Momodu over claims that Obi cannot win the 2023 presidency with Labour Party.

Momodu, who appeared on a current affairs programme ‘Your View’ on TVC, had said Obi could not win the 2023 presidency in a local fringed party like Labour.

When asked if Obi would pull the type of votes Trump did in the US, which nobody thought existed or get many youths to vote for him in the general election, Momodu said it’s impossible. According to him, the first thing Obi would face is to fund the party because the party is not financially buoyant, and Nigerians do not make contributions.

He said, “For me, the two of the best in the PDP were myself and Peter Obi, and he had absconded. I was in Labour; I started my journey from Labour; the first thing Obi will face in Labour is to fund the party because the party does not have money, and Nigerians don’t make contributions.

“After I lost the first ten million, I started shaking because they said they were setting up a structure. You cannot win a presidential election from a fringed local party like Labour. Peter Obi has money, unlike me, but can he spend his hard-earned money on fighting Atiku and Tinubu if he emerges the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Party? He can’t.”

However, in his response to Momodu’s claim, Peter, in a series of tweets on Twitter, said that Obi might not have money and structure, but he has the youths and masses behind him, adding that masses will control the election’s outcome.

He tweeted: “With all due respect Sir, Mr Dele Momodu! Yes, Peter Obi might not have the money and structure! But he has the Youths, The Masses and The People now! The truth is that we, the people, are the structure. We are many, and we are powerful. We are Obi-don’t; we cannot be distracted.

You people don’t understand the hardship and abject poverty that will hit us if Peter Obi doesn’t win. It’s not about the North or South here; it’s about who will save us. The country is crumbling in all sectors, people are dying unnecessarily, and all this rubbish must stop. They intentionally create hardship for the people so that they can easily buy people over to support them in a time like this! Are you people not tired of suffering? Is Nigeria today satisfactory for you? Don’t fall for these same mind games again.

“Please, one more thing, Sir, Mr Dele Momodu, with all the money and structure that other political parties have, where has it taken Nigeria to? We need Pure Change! And Peter Obi is that change! And now a Threat to all of them all! Sorosoke.”

Also, declaring support for Obi to become Nigeria’s next president, human rights activist and co-convener of #BringBackOurGirls, Aisha Yesufu on Twitter, said that the country does need an emperor but a President, therefore, urging Nigerian people to not forfeit their rights to vote by desperation.

Yesufu tweeted: “We need a President and not an emperor and the only person that is going to be “OBEDIENT” or “OBIDIENT” is Peter Obi! Desperation must not make you forfeit your rights! The #OfficeOfTheCitizen remains the highest office in the land!”

Even in the northern part of the country, the support for Obi is gathering momentum each day especially among the youths.

In a recent BBC Pidgin interview, Peter Obi asserted that his structure was the millions of Nigerians who live in poverty.

“Whenever I hear of NO STRUCTURE, my ansa dey simple; di 100 million Nigerians wey dey live in poverty go be di structure….” (Daily Independent)

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