According to international journalist Donu Kogbara, a former Obidient Movement supporter, Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, is falling short of expectations.
She claims that while Peter Obi inspired many Nigerians and won many followers in the run-up to the 2023 elections, his reputation took a sharp decline following the election.
In light of recent high-profile departures from the Labour Party, Kogbara claimed that the party is in danger of going under and that its politicians must battle to stay in office.
She insisted in an interview with Arise News that although Obi is still a decent man, he has failed to deliver the kind of opposition leadership that garnered him a lot of support from Nigerians, especially young people, in the run-up to the 2023 elections.
Kogbara claimed that a large number of obedient movement supporters were dissatisfied with Obi.
In her own words, “Well, the Labour Party should bid those five lawmakers farewell because rats have always abandoned sinking ships.” If their actions fall within the legal parameters—which I’m not even sure they do—they have the right to do as they like. But in my opinion, there is a crisis within the Labour Party. All of the drama centered on their leadership and the traitor, who was being influenced by outside forces.
“Those without honor simply aren’t tolerable to me. After the entire crisis, the Labour Party found it challenging to operate as a legitimate party due to other factors. What saddens me the most, though, is not so much what the members of the House of Representatives and Senators do, but rather Peter Obi himself.
“I simply don’t understand how someone who led a movement almost immediately, inspired young people, intellectuals, and anyone with any kind of moral compass to at least somewhat admire him even if they weren’t going to vote for him for whatever reason, has gone from the top to the bottom.”
When it comes to me, he’s like a firework that has become a wet squib. He’s made so much money. He just occasionally makes bland remarks on TV, donates boreholes, or does anything else he wants. It’s all enjoyable. Although he is still a kind man, where is the opposition’s much-needed leader? He’s not looking like it.”
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Kogbara added that not just Obi, but the entire opposition movement in Nigeria, including Atiku Abubakar, are not doing enough to put the government of President Bola Tinubu on its toes.
She further blamed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
She, however reserved the largest part of the blame for Obi, labelling him such a disappointment with no aggression to tackle the current government for its lousiness and failures.
“I blame the entire opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for allowing itself to be derailed by my dear friend, Nyesom Wike. By the way, I saw him a couple of months ago and I told him that ‘if I was a PDP Mandarin, I would have tossed you out by now.’ I also blame Atiku Abubakar of spending more time as a Dubai type of big man and not effectively taking on the government.
“And I blame Peter Obi most of all because Peter was a shining star and so many people committed themselves to him emotionally, myself included. I’m not Obidient anymore, to be honest with you, because he’s such a disappointment. I mean, there’s no aggression.
“The government is lousy. And pretty much the only good thing I can think that President Bola Tinubu has done is to keep herdsmen at bay because I’ve noticed there haven’t been any herdsmen shenanigans since Tinubu came in. So, I congratulate him for that if indeed it is his doing.
She said, “But it’s kind of like, there are so many things this government is doing wrong, like contracts being awarded without due process, economic collapse, rampaging inflation, widespread hunger, and disillusionment, and the fact that Peter Obi never says anything really punchy.”
Kogbara continued to scold Peter Obi, saying that he is too gentle and that his actions had let many people down. The former LP presidential candidate can do more, she argued, as the leading opposition figure.
“He is too gentle. He has a lot, to be sure, but he could do so much more, and if he did, the public would support him greatly. I’m speaking not only for myself, but for hundreds of dissatisfied Obidients, whether they are present or former Obidients. A weak opposition leader is what we do not want. He is the main character. Atiku and the PDP ought to be doing more as well. The opposition’s best player, Peter, isn’t doing well enough, she observed.
