It is not the intrigues and histrionics of who is going to get the ADC presidential ticket between Obi and Atiku that unsettles one at the moment; what has been worrisome and invidious so far about having these two politicians in the same party and jostling for its presidential ticket is the disconcerting conduct and disturbing antics of their supporters.
With the politicking and gamesmanship ahead of the 2027 presidential election gathering feverish momentum and entering high gear, events in the political space are unfolding at a pace many observers, commentators and analysts are finding it hard to keep up with. As we race towards 2027 and political actors and entities manœuvre and meander through the treacherous and perilous political landscape, one name that has dominated public discourse is Peter Obi. As the opposition hatches plots and schemes to oust President Bola Tinubu from office, the former Anambra State governor has become the cynosure of all eyes as the opposition parties search for a formidable candidate to lead the charge against the ruling party and dislodge the incumbent.
There is no denying that Obi’s defection to the African Democratic Congress has altered the calculations, projections, and predictions, and has also introduced fresh intrigue and drama to the 2027 presidential election. But his defection has come with its concerns, misgivings and doubts has many, especially his staunch supporters, worry that he may face an uphill task in trying to clinch the presidential ticket of the ADC with influential and political heavyweight like former president, Atiku Abubakar, also in the race for the ticket. Atiku has made it known to all who care to listen that he will be contesting the ADC presidential primary and will not be stepping down for anyone, even if the odds of winning the election proper are heavily stacked against him.
Obi is not a new face in Nigerian politics, but the outcome of the 2023 presidential election has added a few more notches to his political belt and propelled him straight to the top of the mainstream of Nigerian politics. The election saw his political mileage and capital soar. So huge is his support base now that many dispassionate commentators and impartial observers have reckoned that the coalition only stands a chance of defeating Tinubu if they field him as their presidential candidate.
Obi has always projected an image of a principled politician and disciplined public administrator who will not buy his way to power or indulge in shady and abhorrent acts to get whatever he wants. These dispositions and creed are why millions of Nigerians are enamoured of him as they reflect in the way he managed the affairs of Anambra when he was the governor, in the way he thinks the country should be governed and how he has gone about not just his private living but his presidential ambition this past year. But the problem with his ways of doing things is that they are not the norm in a jarringly dysfunctional society like ours — they are the exception.
Atiku is largely seen and widely regarded as an establishment guy, an old warhorse and bona fide member of the old order who, many believe, is part of the problem bedevilling the country. Who they believe played a crucial role in the socio-economic and political degradation of the nation. For many Nigerians, he is an embodiment of everything that is wrong with the country which they need to put an end to. He is a telling representation of the very absurdities and abnormalities that pervade the country which they need a departure from. But the truth of the matter here is that what the average Nigerian wants is not always in tandem with what the elites, the ruling and political class desire. Despite the uninspiring and unfavourable view of him among many Nigerians, especially working-class and upwardly mobile youths, Atiku is still held in high regard by many politicians and commands a lot of respect among northern elites.
While there are other prominent and influential politicians like former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, former governor of Sokoto state, Aminu Tambuwal, in the ADC who are also nursing a presidential ambition and hoping to use the ADC to actualise their objectives, either Atiku or Obi are poised to clinch the ticket as every prediction and projection touted them as the likely presidential candidate of the party.
However, while the ADC presidential primary is still some months away, concerns continue to mount over the likelihood of Obi’s emergence as the party’s flagbearer if an open primary is conducted. Atiku has acquired a reputation for being adept at winning primaries even if he has to do it in a way many may deem unfair and unsportsmanlike, while Obi believes his antecedents, goodwill and message of hope, reassurance and desire to turn the fortune of the country around are enough to get him the ticket. If the two heavyweights should go into a primary election based on their disposition, creed and belief, everyone knows who will emerge victorious, and that person is not Obi.
It is not the intrigues and histrionics of who is going to get the ADC presidential ticket between Obi and Atiku that unsettles one at the moment; what has been worrisome and invidious so far about having these two politicians in the same party and jostling for its presidential ticket is the disconcerting conduct and disturbing antics of their supporters. While legions of Obi supporters have attached his eventual candidature as a condition for them to support and work for ADC in the 2027 presidential election, Atiku’s associates and friends have been working assiduously to discredit Obi and downplay his ability to mount a serious challenge against Tinubu.
Ovation magazine publisher, Dele Momodu, who has not hidden his fondness and support for Atiku, has been at the forefront of pushing anti-Obi rhetoric as he makes a case, however tough and unconvincing it may be, for Atiku. While he downplays and scoffs at the feat of Obi during the last election, he amplifies and touts the unproven formidability of Atiku. Momodu is not alone in this depressingly irritating behaviour. Other leading voices on social media who support Atiku have also turned the belittling of Obi into their favourite pastime.
While Obi supporters have been less vicious and abrasive in their rejection of Atiku’s candidature as they tend to focus more on marketing, pushing and championing the cause of their man, their conduct has been no less reprehensible. They have made disparaging comments that cast aspersions on the person of Atiku and their conduct when it comes to making their case for Obi’s candidature most often than not overstepped the due bounds of propriety and respect.
There is no doubt that the behaviour of these two set of people, even if they appear to be fighting for their respective principals and advancing their interest, will do more harm than good to the very people they claim they are acting in their interests.
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