Peter Obi is a mystery.
Why #PeterObi’s Popularity Isn’t Like that of Buhari and Abiola
By Akhigbe Samson
Peter Obi is a mystery to the Nigerian political system. He’s not the first popular politician with a fanatical following.
Buhari and Abiola were very popular candidates.
Buhari had a cult following. I visited Zaria in 2015, I saw people idolising his billboard. I wasn’t told neither did I read it, I saw people gather around his image screaming SaiBaba.
Abiola equally had a fanatical following.
His loss at the polls almost burnt down Nigeria. If the military weren’t in power in 1993, it would be impossible for a civilian government to hold back the mass hysteria that followed Abiola’s denial.
Peter Obi is not the first popular candidates. Why is Peter different?
Peter is an underdog. Buhari and Abiola weren’t underdogs, they had established themselves in the political sphere. Abiola bought his way to stardom. No one did giveaway like MKO Abiola in the history of giveaways.
Peter Obi started out by telling us how stingy he was. That’s unusual in the Nigerian political system… No, you’ll need at least N20b to execute a presidential campaign. But, this guy simply says he isn’t ready to give money and then people still followed.
That’s the mystery.
APC isn’t attàcking PDP and vice versa, both of them are attàcking Obi… They are not even attàcking Labour Party, just Obi. Very strange political strategy.
He has shown that Nigerians truly aren’t interested in money politics, the old politicians weaponised poverty to make it look like without money you can’t successfully build a national followership.
That’s the Peter Obi mystery
