ADC primaries and Peter Obi’s refusal to live in bondage

When some folks living in bondage hopped from one TV talk show to another, turning the barrel against Peter Obi and calling him unprintable names, the anger was not just puzzling but intriguing to the uninitiated.

The argument advanced further, especially by a former Nollywood actor, was that Obi is not man enough to contest a party primary. That he is not a leader who builds from the scratch. That he gallivants from one party to another looking for ready-made platforms. That Obi was spineless and a mere political “conman” who does not deserve to lead a nation.

For the man used to the shouts of “lights, camera, roll, action,” his chief reason for abandoning ship with his former principal was because Obi did not defend the mandate allegedly given to him by the people. How exactly could Obi defend a mandate already ruled upon by the Supreme Court of the land?

Was he expected to mobilize Nigerians to shut down the streets, raise a militant group to cause mutiny, or overthrow the government? Coming from a legal practitioner who swore to uphold the Constitution and laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that position was simply preposterous and inconceivable.

If by any chance he expected a repeat of Chief Abiola’s defiance, then drawing such a parallel further exposes a lack of rigour and poor judgement in this present democratic dispensation. Talking about Chief Abiola — the great patriot on whose blood the present democratic superstructure rests — the sage famously said you cannot shave a man’s hair behind his back.

Read also: Atiku set for 7th presidential run after ADC primaries victory

The grand scheme in luring Peter Obi to join the African Democratic Congress is gradually unveiling itself as the dust from the party’s primary settles. Was Rotimi Amaechi so politically naïve that he could not read between the lines that a party allegedly formed in a man’s kitchen would eventually serve steaming breakfast from there? Definitely not. Rotimi Amaechi is far smarter than that, but perhaps he was one Nigerian who believed people should still be given the benefit of the doubt to do the right thing.

Unfortunately, one wonders how Rotimi Amaechi would have thought he could beat an Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in a free and fair election. Nothing can be taken away from the Rivers political lord that he may make a better president than Atiku, but if politics is fundamentally about numbers and structure, then it would have been the eighth wonder of the world for him to overrun Atiku in any contest, speaking frankly.

While the advisers of Mohammed Hayatu-Deen should allow the gentleman rest and enjoy retirement instead of incessantly contesting the presidential race, Rt. Hon. Amaechi gave his verdict on the outcome of the ADC presidential primaries.

He said: “Following reports of widespread voter disenfranchisement in most parts of the country during the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Primaries yesterday, I unequivocally reject the concocted results being announced.”

He also stated: “I had initially stated that I will only accept the outcome of the primaries if the process was free, fair, and transparent, and I stand by my word… there’s no way that about eighty percent of members of the party were not allowed to vote, and you expect me to accept such results. Then what makes us different from the others?”

And he added: “A party that criticizes the ruling APC and INEC for vote buying, rigging and writing of results, cannot itself engage in vote buying, writing of results, and other electoral malpractices that lead to the disenfranchisement of voters who are party members. This is not acceptable!”

It is now up to the handlers of the party to address their internal crisis, much like the implosions brewing in other political parties after their primaries. Has the recent visit of Atiku Abubakar erased the damning accusation made by Rotimi Amaechi over the recently concluded ADC primaries? It appears Peter Obi did not just see the handwriting on the wall, but was also brave enough to refuse to live in bondage and have his hair shaved behind him.

Because for many observers now pointing accusing fingers at the ADC, it is alleged that the outcome of the primary had long been predetermined and that Peter Obi had already been pencilled down for the second position. Dele Momodu’s admittance that Rotimi Amaechi was no match for Atiku Abubakar given the latter’s pedigree and structure, affirms the fact that a Peter Obi was also secretly co-opted to suffer a similar feat.

So, does it not amount to treachery, mischief and deliberate attempts to caricature Obi and others by nudging them to contest just to legitimatize the entire sham called primaries.

Obi would have had no option but to settle for the vice-presidential slot after immense pressure to “save Nigeria,” or simply fizzle out of the contest in this dispensation. That perhaps is the wisdom that distinguishes a trader from an actor-cum-lawyer.

Peter Obi, a consummate trader, boardroom strategist across blue-chip companies and certificated by some of the world’s prestigious Business Schools, should be railroaded into a concocted party primary? Mbanu, the igbo man will shout – meaning that cannot happen. He did his SWOT analysis, counted the cost like the Lord Jesus admonishes whoever wants to go for a battle, and walked away graciously to the chagrin of dishonest men.

Otherwise, with Peter Obi out of the way, the epic battle would then have been between President Tinubu and Atiku. It remains fascinating that after eight years of Buhari’s misrule, another Northerner would still, with full chest, decide to contest and continue where he stopped — exposing once again the delicate line between competence and justice, simply because some believe the South lacks the former.

Right from when the ADC burst into the political space with its change of ownership and leadership, the party has not ceased to treat Nigerians to one African Magic flick after another. What could have become the face of a vociferous and vigorous opposition, marshalling and calling the shots ahead of a fiercely contested 2027 presidential election, is gradually becoming an anti-climax.

While the party cannot be entirely blamed for its woes, given the alleged lethal political weapons deployed against it by the incumbent, it appears the alleged predetermined script of the party handlers has caused them to miss strategic direction, collaboration, coalition-building, and constantly make poor judgements for the ambition of one man. Why is almost every major political party in the country zoning its presidential ticket to the South except one – the African Dramatic Congress!

How then are ego, personal ambition, and disregard for justice, equity, and fairness not central factors in this equation? Does Atiku have the constitutional right to contest? Absolutely yes. But frankly speaking, the mood of the nation does not support such a move at this historical junction. At what point should one advise himself or bootlickers shut their mouths?

There are already indications of an uprising, or at least a growing revolt, against the Tinubu government —whether real or imagined- does that provide the justification for another candidate to emerge from that same region of the country?

If Tinubu had gone the way of previous administrations, the nation would probably have been far worse off. Did Tinubu take some difficult but necessary decisions? Absolutely yes. Was the executory agility and excellence deep enough to sustain the intended policy impact? Certainly not.

If successive administrations had earlier gone through the painful routes of petroleum subsidy removal and forex liberalisation, Nigeria might well have been out of the woods before 2023.

This is by no means exonerating the present administration from the untold hardship Nigerians are facing today. Policies are made for men, not men to die for policies. There must be balance, humane adjustments, and sensible reviews — especially when some implementers of those policies appear either insincere or incompetent in certain instances.

The incumbent has long ceased to be the opposition’s greatest problem. The godless and self-serving ambitions of opposition gladiators may already have given the next election away.

Atiku Abubakar may now look towards a Seyi Makinde, especially since Rotimi Amaechi appears to have shaken the table. But one thing is certain: Amaechi may never again be invited to that dinner despite the seeming handshake and rapprochement. True to type, Amaechi may just choose to operate from behind.

So, let us prepare for another replay of 2023 because of the shambolic and shameless fracture within the opposition, unless a miracle emerges from the Peter Obi camp — which itself appears unlikely against an incumbent as politically formidable as President Tinubu. Nigerians are watching

As for former President Goodluck Jonathan, our people say a child is not advised against growing big teeth, but he must have enough lips to cover them. When thunder strikes a person twice, he may not survive to tell the story.

Stay honourable, Mr Jonathan. Nigeria is not Ghana — who knows, knows!