- Punchnewsng.com has observed that over the past few months, series of attacks have been launched against the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi.
- This online newspaper have gathered reasons why Soludo, Obaseki, Nnamani, others are ganging-up against Obi
Over the past few months, it has been increasingly obvious that Peter Obi and his supporters, the Obidents, are not going to lose steam as many political bigwigs had projected.
The rise of the Labour Party’s presidential candidate’s popularity in the South-east and South-South geopolitical zones has reshaped the political landscape ahead of the general elections as campaigns heat up.
Since leaving the Peoples Democratic Party, or PDP, in May, Mr. Obi and his supporters have increased dramatically rather than fading away as many had feared.
Several major figures in the two regions have stepped up their criticism of the Labour Party candidate during the past several days.
Read Also: Arewa Youths Speak on Peter Obi’s Chances in the North
The governors of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, and Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, have previously attacked Obi.
However, the pushback was swift, forcing both to retract their statements.
“We will only vote for the APC; we will not cast a ballot for the Labour Party. Instead of the Labour Party, the APC is getting our vote.
“Ebonyi is the name of our agenda. We shall vote for Tinubu as our candidate for president. The liberation of Ebonyi State must be our goal, as Umahi had stated in June.
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However, the assault on Obi has gotten worse during the last few weeks.
Recall that Chimaroke Nnamani, a former governor of Enugu State and PDP senatorial candidate, cautioned his followers not to risk voting for Obi in a series of tweets in August.
“PDP is our party and platform. We must be steadfast. We must not allow the Obidient attitudes to influence our voting for the Labour Party. It will be challenging to undo if we blur the lines,” the tweet stated.
In the past week, Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki entered the conflict by forbidding the Obidient movement from using Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.
You May Also Read: “I Thought They Were Serious” — Obaseki Speaks on Denying Peter Obi Access To Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium
Thousands of people attended the movement’s protest in the city, but Mr. Obaseki argued in an interview that while Mr. Obi’s supporters may rule the cyber world, the PDP actually owns the political landscape.
The largest blow on Obi’s candidacy this week came from his own State, when Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo launched a scathing attack against him.
Also Read: Peter Obi is thrilling the Theatre, he can’t win in 2023 – Soludo
Soludo even made the implication that Obi’s candidacy is a tactical endorsement of Bola Tinubu, the APC candidate.
Asiwaju Tinubu said, “In fact, if I were Asiwaju Tinubu, I would even offer Peter Obi money as someone leading one of his campaign’s divisions because Obi is greatly facilitating Tinubu’s route to victory by subtly undermining PDP. He said, “It is what it is.
Why are South-east and South-South politicians opposing Obi?
According to Kelechukwu Eni-Otu, a member of the APC in Ebonyi State, “The choice of the Labour Party and the appeal to youths pose a significant threat to established political parties in the regions.”
He asserted that “these politicians are just trying to avoid a tsunami” as a result of the concurrent presidential and National Assembly elections.
“The Obi tsunami may have an impact on the politicians in the APC, PDP, and APGA if they do not act.
We witnessed it in the North in 2015 and 2019 when Buhari’s wave helped a number of candidates win seats in the House of Representatives and Senate.
Why Soludo is launching Attacks on Obi
Given that APGA has consistently performed poorly in elections for the National Assembly since 2015, Soludo is reportedly trying to lessen the PDP’s dominance in the State.
APGA has around three Representatives but no Senators in the current 9th Assembly.
This might be explained by the fact that the APGA frequently does not present candidates for the presidency.
APGA may enter the election facing up against the PDP and Labour, two powerful forces, with Victor Umeh now working alongside Obi in the Labour Party.
Why Obaseki is Attacking Obi
The governance of the PDP organisation in Edo State has been the subject of a protracted conflict between Governor Obaseki and Dan Obih’s faction.
Governor Nyesom Wike made fun of him for not having control over the delegates in the previous PDP presidential primary.
Many individuals think that the majority of Obi supporters are PDP voters who would not normally support him.
See Also: Peter Obi Meets Revered Benin Monarch, Oba Ask Crucial Question
Senate and House of Representative seats may change if Obi wins Edo State. In Edo North, where Adams Oshiomhole is running for office, there is also the APC effect.
As a result, Oshiomhole and the APC will face up against Obaseki and the PDP in Edo, while the Labour Party is also gaining support.
The Rationale Behind Chimaroke’s Attack on Obi
Enugu State could be compared to that. Obi’s appeal to young people provides the party with its first real litmus test for the first time in 1999.
Additionally, Chimaroke seems to have been alarmed by the State’s political calculations.
It is anticipated that many political gladiators will speak out more against Peter Obi as the campaigns go on since they are fighting to maintain their separate political structures.
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