Also, NDC is more of a coalition than a single ideologically defined political entity. It is a patchwork of distinct characters with different goals and objectives, Obi cannot lord it over other political heavyweights in the coalition. There will be compromises, there will be consensus and there will be horse-trading to accommodate competing interests and aspirational differences.
As political parties conclude their primaries and set their sight on electioneering, the dust raised by the circumstances surrounding the conduct of these primaries is yet to settle and there is no other place and party where conversation about the aftermath of the primary elections has been as intense and polemic as the National Democratic Congress (NDC). The reason why the focus of the post-primary election discourse has been on the NDC is not far-fetched.
Unlike the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC), many impressionable politically conscious Nigerians who yearn for change see the NDC as a breath of fresh air, a party that represents something different from the aberration and anomaly they have come to know, an entity through which they believe Nigeria can be salvaged and pulled back from the steep descent into failed state. They did not expect much from APC, ADC and PDP. To them, these parties, especially the APC, are too set in their ways and cannot bring about the radical socio-economic and political people-centred change that the nation desperately needs.
After the NDC primaries were conducted and the list of candidates was eventually published, those who believed the party was here to challenge and disrupt the status quo were not impressed. And the man whom their displeasure and disenchantment were directed at is the presidential candidate of the party, Peter Obi. There is no doubt that their discontent and disaffection in the aftermath of the NDC primary were amplified and blown out of proportion by some embittered and antagonistic members of the opposition who do not like Obi and for whom the idea and thought of his presidential ambition is deemed a tough pill to swallow.
For these truculent and cantankerous members of the opposition, the purported irregularities and malpractices at NDC primaries and the inability of those believed to be close ally of Obi and key members of the Obidient movement, the sobriquet for Obi’s passionate supporters, is the perfect opportunity to slight and denigrate, and frame the outcome of the primaries as a reliable measure of not just how realistic and achievable his presidential ambition is but the level of his power and influence in the party on whose platform he seeks to actualise the ambition. In the build-up to the 2023 election, when the frenzy and hysteria of the Obidient movement were at their peak, many ordinary and everyday Nigerians leveraged the popularity and goodwill of Obi to actualise their political ambitions.
From the poor commercial bike rider in Southern Kaduna to the struggling forlorn lower-class man in Lagos, many were swept into political office by the Obidient’s tsunami, riding on the goodwill, acceptability and appeal of Obi to the majority of Nigerians. So when Obi eventually moved to NDC from ADC, having moved there from the Labour Party, many, particularly those who are seen as members of his inner circle, believe it is time to throw their own hats in the political ring and vie for elective public office. They not only believe that their closeness to Obi will give them an edge but also feel it is only logical and natural for them to capitalise on a cause that is rooted in a wave of public discontent over the state of the nation and a clamour for a change they have made Obi the rallying point.
Though only two notable members of Obidient and staunch supporters of Obi did not get the party’s ticket for the position they wanted to vie for. Ken Pela and Aisha Yesufa. These two lost the primary to equally formidable figures and diehard Obidients. For instance, Pela lost to Deacon Chris Iyovwaye, who is an indefatigable grassroots mobiliser and a dyed-in-the-wool proponent of Obi’s cause and ambition. He worked tirelessly for Delta for the actualisation of Obi’s presidency in 2023. Aisha Yesufu lost to a founding member of NDC in the person of Madam Amanda Pam. Pam is no pushover and a neophyte in politics. She was canvassing and registering people for the party when it was little known. She may not have the media fame and activism exuberance of Yesufu but she definitely possesses the sagacity, charisma, influence and political visibility needed to win an election.
While Yesufu was quite vocal about her rejection of the process that culminated in failure to secure the ticket, she accepted the party’s decision in the interest of peace and stability. Pela also accepted his defeat in good faith and promised to continue to work for the party and support the presidential ambition. The people who secure the party tickets ahead of known Obi’s supporters are people who have paid their dues. They are not characters that you can run roughshod over. It is unfair and a tad pedestrian to use the failure and inability of those many consider Obi men to secure the party’s ticket to gauge their influence and power. Also, demanding that Obi use his influence and power to impose all his supporters as candidates of the party in every elective position amounts to a betrayal of his ideals and principles of fairness, justice, accountability and transparency.
Those who believe Obi represents something new, a departure from an ignoble present and troubling past cannot turn around to excoriate him and question his ability when he chooses not to indulge in exercise and action that brought us to where we are now as a nation. For every associate and supporter of Obi that did not secure an NDC ticket to contest as the party’s candidate in next year’s general election, you will find a dozen who did.
Also, NDC is more of a coalition than a single ideologically defined political entity. It is a patchwork of distinct characters with different goals and objectives, hence Obi cannot lord it over other political heavyweights in the coalition. There will be compromises, there will be consensus and there will be horse-trading to accommodate competing interests and aspirational differences. Obi’s influence and clout cannot be gauged by the inability of his associates to realise their political objectives. The influence of Obi can be seen in the millions of Nigerians who see him as an embodiment of everything good and right about the country. He projects power by adroitly and cleverly navigating the turbulent and treacherous political landscape and intelligently sidestepping the mines laid in his path by his adversaries and traducers.
