Four years ago this time, Peter Obi came to Port Harcourt on the ballot of the Labour Party (LP), with Datti Baba-Ahmed as his running mate from the North. Now, he came back to the same city on the National Democratic Party (NDC) with Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso from another zone in the North as his running mate.
The difference is not only the change of political party and running mate, but the level of enthusiasm waiting for him. Whereas the youths and supporters were simply mad in 2022/23, the mood seemed moderate this time around.
As if his hosts hinted him on this, Peter Obi tried to reassure the over 4000 supporters that turned out at the EUI Event Centre, a premier, five-star luxury event and conference destination located on Abacha Road area of the New GRA in the Garden City.
The last time, crowds climbed over each other to catch a glimpse of the man they desired to lead Nigeria. Whereas other candidates last time poured funds to create huge crowds, in Obi’s case, crowds spend huge funds to attend his rallies.
Crowds and scenes at the Peter Obi town hall meeting in Port HarcourtWhat did they get? That has continued to worry the leadership of the ‘Obidients’. In Rivers State and some other states, what happened to the votes of the youths that were poured for Obi? The then governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has continued to boast of how he turned the table in Rivers State, an action he strongly claims, made Bola Ahmed Tinubu overtake both Obi and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Probably in return, he was made super minister in the Tinubu cabinet (FCT Minister), and the only minister exempted from the Single Treasury Account (TSA). By this, he could raise revenue and spend without passing it through the CBN first.
He, a PDP chieftain, was also handed all the goodies or spoils of war allotted the Rivers State (minister, NDDC, all federal appointments, etc), and free hands to do whatever pleased him in the state, Abuja, and beyond.
When Tinubu won the 2023 election, he was an ordinary person, and Wike was an opposition governor. Many now wonder what powers are available to Tinubu (now president) and Wike (now FCT Minister overseeing all electoral institutions and judiciary). These realisations may be playing in the minds of the Obidients in Rivers State.
Obi responded by trying to build up faith and hope. He told the crowd that they would defend their votes and that their votes must either count or those stopping it would be ‘counted’, whatever that meant. Peter Obi’s arrowhead in Rivers State now is Dumo Lulu-Briggs, son of an oil magnet (now late), no longer Beatrice Itubo, the then state chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), who was a kind of rabble-rouser. Dumo is a gentleman with a kind of aristocratic disposition: topnotch education, perfect grammar, intelligent, etc, with a huge business empire behind him. Such personalities hardly support violent struggles. They go to court.
Besides, the party in Rivers State witnessed internal divisions and even went to court. However, Success Jack, the State Chairman, confirmed that results were transmitted to the National Working Committee (NWC), and the national leadership convened peace meetings between the State Working Committee and aspirants to foster unity. A subsequent legal challenge regarding the primary was also dismissed by the court, clearing the path forward.
Many looked closely to see bonding and harmony between Obi and Kwankwaso, his running mate. It was noted that both, in their words and actions appear very resolute to run the 2027 election, with seeming belief that they have the support of the masses to win the election.
Severally, Kwankwaso, who referred to the masses and the Talakawas, and Obi expressed faith in democracy and the power it has conferred on the people to decide the fate of the country.
Kwankwaso referred to his Kwankwasiyya Movement and the Obidents, loyal to Obi, as defense for NDC votes in 2027.
The airwaves have been pumping messages of how to defend their votes at all levels from polling units to ward collation, to LGA collation and state collation centres. Most of this will be taking place at night. Many wonder how the followers could cover all the areas where cheating could happen.
Some have advised that the Obidients should focus on forcing INEC to announce results at every polling unit and get the photos and upload to the NDC national situation room from where the party could be briefing the world on correct results. These were the murmurings by followers at the EUI where Obi was received.
Some wanted to know if Obi would possible ditch the NDC as pressure from hoem(Ohanaeze Ndigbo) mounts, asking him to join Tinubu in hope of future opportunity. Many have warned that they would take none of such. ‘Its Peter Obi or nothing’, John Uwalaka, an Obidient in Diobu, told newsmen.
Obi thus possibly unintentionally skipped to respond to the question on being part of a coalition with other opposition parties, such as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to defeat President Tinubu at the polls.
There however was no mention of any coalition. Besides, the body language of Obi and Kwankwaso did not indicate any hurry to join any coalition against Tinubu. The crowd however patiently waited for Obi to arrive the venue. At the end, they appeared not eager to leave.
The good sign from 2023 was the tenacity of the followers to wait till the late period that the NDC train arrived.
The presidential candidate maintained an open forum and fielded questions from participants with no-holds bar.
He had before the question-answer session invited all present to throw questions, adding that the focus of the town hall meeting was for he and his running mate to hear from the people of Nigeria.
He also offered opportunity for anyone who had any information against him and Kwankwaso, or against their background possibly taking a punch at his rivals with unclarified backgrounds and age, to come forward and say so. These things created huge excitement almost to the scale of 2023. In summary, observers noted that enthusiasm seemed to have waned.
A source said: ‘One could see the fatigue there (maybe it was from physical tiredness, having waited for hours). But what I could sense (even from the number of questions the crowd asked him) was the fear that their votes would not count again this time around.
‘People expressed concern over votes counting, prompting him and Kwankwaso to make assurances on vote defense. Enthusiasm seems to have waned.’