Anambra Guber: Peter Obi’s Polling Unit Defeat Divides Online Opinions

The effects of the Anambra governorship election are still being felt two weeks after it was held.

Recall that during that exercise, Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate for the 2023 election, lost his polling place.

The current governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, and candidates from the All Progressives Grand Alliance, or APGA, dominated the polls, with the APC candidate trailing well behind.

Nevertheless, despite being fostered as the national coalition party, the Labour Party and the African Democratic Congress, or ADC, fell short.

In the LP leader’s own polling place in Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area, Obi’s candidate was defeated by the APC.

Obi’s LP received 57 votes, while Nicholas Ukachukwu of the APC received 73.

Many people were expecting his great popularity to propel victory on any occasion, therefore this development has sparked a lot of comments.

Many others, on the other hand, maintain that the former governor of Anambra State is still popular and that he was not included on the ballot for the governorship.

Obi did not keep the candidate he selected to himself. Prior to the election, he had publicly declared his support for him.

“I will support my party’s candidate, George Moghalu despite not being in my election, but my conscience says so,” he previously said on social media.

The 2023 presidential candidate did not stop there; in support of the LP candidate who had endorsed him, he strolled through Anambra’s streets.

The Obidient family is fully present throughout Anambra State, according to Tanko, the coordinator of the Obidient Movement.

“We have finished the inauguration of our Polling Unit Commanders in all 5720 polling units around the state. Our grassroots structures are vibrant, active, and vigilant throughout every community, ward, and hamlet, from Awka, Awkuzu to Nnewi. We urge you to cast your ballot for George Moghalu. He declared, “Voting for Moghalu is a vote for PO.”

The issue now is that the LP candidate did not perform well, even though Peter Obi and his Obidient Movement supported Moghalu.

The APC in Lagos State advised Obi to put the 2027 presidential race out of his mind after the results of the election.

The party claims that Nigerians cannot entrust Obi, who was unable to command respect in his own polling unit, with their fate.

Seye Oladejo, the Lagos APC’s spokesperson, questioned how Obi plans to govern Nigeria given his inability to win at his own polling place.

“A man has no right to think of conquering a country if he can’t win his polling unit. A man cannot claim national acceptance if he is rejected on the street.

A portion of the message said, “A man whose strongest base has crumbled cannot sell the lie of a national movement.”

The APC said that Obi’s loss in his polling place represented the “total disintegration of the myth surrounding Peter Obi.” To make matters worse, we genuinely hope that Mr. Obi won’t run to plead for foreign help to pull him out of this political abyss, as he has shamelessly tried in the past.

“After being rejected at home, Nigerian democracy is not a toy for desperate politicians looking for sympathy abroad.”

In an interview with Barrister Emma Ibediro, a former APC National Organizing Secretary and member of the Igbo Agenda Dialogue, IAD, she maintained that Peter Obi’s loss of his polling unit meant nothing at all and that the former governor’s popularity wasn’t put to the test.

According to Peter Obi, he wasn’t on the ballot. He was on the ballot for the governorship of Anambra State.

He claimed that Peter Obi was unrelated to the Anambra election.

He responded, “No,” when asked if Peter Obi’s popularity, which aided lawmakers in gaining political positions in 2023, was no longer accessible. According to Peter Obi, he was not on the ballot for the Anambra election as far as he is concerned.

“The popularity of the candidates running in the Anambra election has been evaluated. We’ll also gauge Peter Obi’s popularity when he’s on the ballot. His popularity was not tested by losing his polling unit.

There was no ballot for him. Peter Obi was right when he said that. There was no ballot for him. According to him, the winner of the Anambra election ought to serve the people.

To put it another way, every candidate who ran for office was Anambra. Additionally, all of those individuals are in his constituency as someone who is attempting to run for a position greater than governor of Anambra. He played a statesman role, in my opinion.

Several Nigerians responded to the outcome on social media:

“Even Obi is not really loved at home,” remarked @AremuBlack. With almost thirty percent of the vote, he was elected to a second term. The cause of the unexpected affection is clear to all of us.

@JpYettyO, Even in his own backyard, Peter was losing. Even among his own people, Peter Obi’s standing has declined!

@otunbacashogy2 “In Anambra State, Peter Obi was finally demystified.” His own relatives rejected him.

@stanlesz05 “He lost to the APC to exacerbate the situation.”

@Infalade Adedoy, “Don’t lose relevance, Baba.” In 2027. It’ll be shocking!

@omoniyielegbel1 In his polling unit, Moghalu also lost. @PeterObi has no impact at all.

“Peter Obi was not on the ballot,” stated @PeterRaph4Obi. Please come back in 2027.

@amkeyus, Is Peter running for office? If the response is negative, doesn’t it make you appear foolish?

83342988, @Ifeanyi “You people give the impression that Obi is running; I’m sure you recall how Obi won the entire Southeast in the previous presidential election.”

@ArabaKpura, In Anambra State, they vote in this manner. They typically don’t support Peter’s candidate if it’s not his election. Put him on the ballot and observe the widespread support for him. Peter backed a different candidate during Obiano’s reelection campaign, and they disregarded him.

@Iambigiyke, “If you want to test Obi’s structure, put him on the ballot; it’s not his election. I choose @CCSoludo because he is the superior candidate. Obi or nothing at the 2027 elections!