Why are Soludo, Obaseki, Nnamani, others banding together against Obi?

In recent months, it has become clear that Peter Obi and his supporters, known as the Obidents, are not going away, as predicted by several political pundits.

The spread of the popularity of the Labour Party’s Presidential candidate has redrawn the political map ahead of the general elections in the South-east and South-South geopolitical zones as campaigns thicken.

Instead of fizzling out, as many predicted, Mr Obi and his supporters have grown significantly since leaving the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in May.

Several political players in both regions have stepped up their attacks on the Labour Party’s candidate in recent days. Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and his counterpart in Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, have both taken shots at Obi in the past, but the backlash has been swift, prompting both to retract their statements.

“We will not vote for the Labour Party, but for the APC.” Our vote is for the APC, not the Labour Party. Ebonyi agenda is our agenda. Tinubu will be our Presidential candidate, and we will vote for him. “Our agenda is to strive to liberate Ebonyi State,” Umahi said in June.

However, the attack on Obi has intensified in recent weeks. It will be recalled that Chimaroke Nnamani, a former governor of Enugu State and PDP Senatorial candidate, warned his supporters not to vote for Obi in a series of tweets in August.

“The PDP is our party and platform.” We must maintain our resolve. We must not be swayed by obedient feelings and vote Labour. “It will be difficult to reverse if we blur the distinction,” read the tweet.

Last week, Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki joined the fray by denying the Obidient movement access to Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.

Despite the fact that the movement held a rally in the city, Mr Obaseki insisted in an interview that Mr Obi supporters may control the virtual world, but the PDP controls the political structure.

During the week, the most serious challenge to Obi’s presidency came from his own state, when Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo launched a scathing attack on him.

Soludo even suggested that Obi’s candidacy is a tactical support for APC candidate Bola Tinubu.

“In fact, if I were Asiwaju Tinubu, I would give Peter Obi money to head one of his campaign’s departments because Obi is making Tinubu’s path to victory much easier by indirectly undermining the PDP.” “It is what it is,” he explained.

Why are politicians from the South-east and South-South opposed to Obi?

The choice of the Labour Party and the appeal to youths pose a significant threat to established political parties in the regions, according to Kelechukwu Eni-Otu, an APC member in Ebonyi State, who spoke to Track News.

“The fact that presidential and National Assembly elections are on the same day, these politicians are just trying to avoid a tsunami,” he says.

“If the politicians in the APC, PDP, and APGA do not act, they may be affected by the Obi tsunami.” We saw it in the North in 2015 and 2019, when Buhari’s wave allowed several people to win seats in the House and Senate.”

Soludo is thought to be working to reduce the PDP’s influence in the state, as the APGA has performed poorly in National Assembly elections since 2015. APGA has no Senators but about three Representatives in the current 9th Assembly.

This could be attributed to the fact that the APGA frequently does not present presidential candidates. With Victor Umeh now in Labour and working with Obi, the APGA may face off against two formidable forces in the election: the PDP and Labour.

In Edo State, Governor Obaseki has been fighting Dan Obih’s faction for control of the PDP structure for a long time. Governor Nyesome Wike mocked him for not having control of the delegates in the previous PDP presidential primaries.

Many people believe that the majority of those who support Obi are PDP voters. If Obi wins Edo State, it could have an impact on Senate and House of Representatives seats. In Edo North, where Adams Oshiomhole is on the ballot, there is also the APC effect.

As a result, Obaseki and the PDP will face off against the APC and his former political mentor, Oshiomhole, in Edo, while the Labour Party is also vying for votes.

Enugu State is in the same boat. For the first time in 1999, Obi’s popularity among youths serves as the party’s first serious litmus test. And Chimaroke appears to have been rattled by the State’s political calculations.

As the campaigns progress, many political gladiators are expected to speak out more against Peter Obi as they struggle to maintain their respective political structures.