Soludo vs Obi: A reality check or naked dance in marketplace?

ADELANI ADEPEGBA and DIRISU YAKUBU x-ray Governor Charles Soludo’s latest harsh assessment of the overall performance of Peter Obi as governor of Anambra State, his dismissal of the chances of the Labour Party flagbearer inside the coming presidential poll, and his criticism of the Igbo’s fashion in its quest for the nation’s primary seat, a improvement that has drawn the wrath of many.

He mentioned, “There is nothing new that Governor Soludo has said that has now not been stated by a number of us. For example, because of resolutions with the aid of Southern Governors and their socio-cultural structures that the president must come from the South; this time, the votes in the south could be shared via Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Bola Tinubu of APC.

“Because Peter Obi defected from PDP, his votes will come largely from his supporters in PDP who’ve defected with him. In the North, the votes can be shared among Atiku of PDP, Kwankwaso of NNPP who decamped from PDP and Bola Tinubu of APC who the 14 APC governors aided his emergence in the primaries. Bola Tinubu will deliver the day within the North due to APC governors and the reality that NNPP has weakened PDP.

“And whilst you upload the fact that the Labour Party has no longer fielded applicants for governorship, Senate, House of Reps and State Assemblies’ seats in many states for loss of capacity and the problem of the G-5 governors led with the aid of Governor Wike; then you cannot fault Governor Soludo’s political arithmetic.’’

No one saw it coming but Anambra State governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo’s lengthy and crucial treatise on the probabilities of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has sent tongues wagging approximately a likely tiff between the 2 Anambrarians as the kingdom’s citizens preferred to be called.

Soludo in his article titled, ‘History Beckons and I Will Not Be Silent (Part 1),’ was very frank in his appraisal of Obi’s ambition, Ndigbo’s political future, South-East improvement and safety, and other troubles relating Obi’s stewardship when he became Anambra State governor as well as his controversial funding in a brewery employer and others.

Soludo stated the LP candidate is playing a sport, including that with LP, Obi did not have the important shape in place to win the presidency.

The governor’s declaration turned into in reaction to criticisms of his assertion that investments credited to Obi even as he turned into the nation governor were well worth ‘’next to nothing.’’

Obi dominated Anambra State among 2006 and 2014 on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance earlier than he decamped to the People’s Democratic Party and later, the Labour Party.

The former Central Bank Governor’s earlier criticism of his predecessor induced a sequence of backlashes from Obi’s supporters, particularly on social media. His Monday article has in addition inflamed passion among Obi’s supporters, commonly known as ‘Obidients,’ with a lot of them accusing Soludo of envy.

Obi in a measured response to the current worth of the investments by his administration appeared to have confirmed Soludo’s allegation that the billions of naira he invested in the private firms on behalf of the state had dropped precipitously.

Responding to the allegation during a meeting with the Lagos Business School alumni, he said, “The one that they are saying is worthless, we invested $3.5 billion in International Breweries. International Breweries is what you can call a global company. It is part of AB beer, which is the biggest brewer in the whole world.

“The share was at a time being sold at N50. Today the share is about N5 or so and then maybe that was what was referred to. But overall, what I left is less than five per cent, that particular investment is less than five per cent.’’

Though the presidential candidate also attempted to defend the huge savings he left for his predecessor, Willie Obiano, his explanations did not address the fact that the savings did not reduce the poverty in the state which Soludo said grew from less than 25 per cent in 2005 to about 53 per cent under Obi in 2010/2011 but fell under Obiano to 14.78 per cent in 2020.

But beyond the social media vituperations, the key issues which Soludo attempted to frontload seemed to have been buried under the rabble-rousing that trailed his article. No one is talking about the political future of Ndigbo and how they can actualise their aspiration through negotiation and alignments. Soludo had urged South-East leaders to strategise and bargain with the two candidates likely to win the 2023 general elections to bring an end to the problem facing the South-East region.

The economics professor argued that the bargaining was necessary to bring lasting peace to the region as well as secure the release of the detained Indigenous People of Biafra leader, Nnamdi Kanu; South-East economic transformation and restructuring, among others.

He equally stressed the imperative of rail lines to the five state capitals, speedy access to the sea, highways linking the South-East to the North and South-South and the problems of gully erosion, Free Trade and Export Processing Zones and other projects.

The governor’s worries that the attempt to muscle out those who were not in support of Obi’s presidential ambition may endanger the future political and economic interests of the Igbos, did not also attract any interrogation as his critics seemed to be evaluating his stance through an ethnic lens.

Citing the strategy employed by the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, the governor argued that the South-East must be strategic in their alliances to lead the country. He dismissed the accusations that he was probably against Obi’s aspiration, noting that the current Nzogbu song and dance strategy would lead Ndigbo nowhere.

He stated, ‘’When will Ndigbo apprehend and research politics, specially of Nigeria? When Bola Ahmed Tinubu defied the political wind of the time and stood out as the “only man standing” in AD and later AC (earlier than ACN) in opposition to a sitting president of Yoruba descent, no person accused him of being anti-Yoruba.

‘’Indeed, anyone recalls that both Tinubu and President Obasanjo disagreed politically, and probable nonetheless disagree — however nor is being accused of being anti-Yoruba.

‘’Under Tinubu, the South-West strategically organised below a one of a kind political party, the ACN and went into a formidable alliance that kicked out a sitting president, and that alliance is not damaged but. Igbos, of their frenzied Nzogbu nzogbu (it’s miles our turn dance”) however without organisation or strategy) politics, have lamentably determined themselves in a political cul-de-sac. Tragic certainly! When will my human beings scent the morning espresso?’’

Though Obi’s recognition seems to be hovering however as cited earlier, translating the social media assist to actual votes would decide his electoral fortunes in 2023. And because the governor asserted, changing anger and social media agitation into political consequences requires humongous work.

“Let’s be clean: Peter Obi knows that he can’t and won’t win. He knows the sport he’s playing, and we understand too, and he knows that we recognise. The brutal fact (and a few will say, God forbid) is that there are two persons/parties critically contesting for president: the rest is thrilling drama,’’ Soludo said to the chagrin of those who already see Obi as the following president
The economist did not mince phrases in dismissing the social media reputation wave his kinsman may be banking directly to win the election, insisting that with out structures, Obi’s presidential dream may additionally just remain a pipe dream.

Stating that Obi won’t even come 0.33 in the race, Soludo contended that the LP lacked the structure to win the presidential election in 2023.

‘’Analysts tell him you don’t want ‘structure’ to win. Fantasy! Of path, LP received governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun on social media and thru phantom polls, at the same time as getting barely 2,000 votes on floor,’’ he said sardonically.

However, rather than harangue the economics professor over his essential observation, Obi and his birthday party ought to double down on the mobilisation of human beings at the grassroots to deal with the absence of the birthday party within the rural regions. In truth, the fine manner to hit returned at the former Central Bank Governor or prove him wrong is for ‘Obidients’ to work twice as difficult because the leading political parties and translate their ache and anger into electoral victory for his or her candidate.

Commenting at the troubles, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome said there was nothing wrong in Soludo hitting Obi, stressing that those faulting the governor due to the fact both guys are of the Igbo ethnic nationality overlooked the point.

He said, “I don’t agree with in ethnic politics. I accept as true with inside the politics of inclusiveness and ‘Nigerianity.’ No Nigerian can win the next election on the premise of his tribe or ethnic group. (President) Buhari attempted it in 2003, 2007 and 2011 and failed. It was whilst he stretched his hand throughout Niger and Benue in 2015 that he gained.”

On his element, Anthony Sani, former Secretary General of the Arewa Consultative Forum stated the Anambra governor was spot on in his score of the Labour Party presidential candidate.

He mentioned, “There is nothing new that Governor Soludo has said that has now not been stated by a number of us. For example, because of resolutions with the aid of Southern Governors and their socio-cultural structures that the president must come from the South; this time, the votes in the south could be shared via Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Bola Tinubu of APC.

“Because Peter Obi defected from PDP, his votes will come largely from his supporters in PDP who’ve defected with him. In the North, the votes can be shared among Atiku of PDP, Kwankwaso of NNPP who decamped from PDP and Bola Tinubu of APC who the 14 APC governors aided his emergence in the primaries. Bola Tinubu will deliver the day within the North due to APC governors and the reality that NNPP has weakened PDP.

“And whilst you upload the fact that the Labour Party has no longer fielded applicants for governorship, Senate, House of Reps and State Assemblies’ seats in many states for loss of capacity and the problem of the G-5 governors led with the aid of Governor Wike; then you cannot fault Governor Soludo’s political arithmetic.’’