By George Onmonya Daniel
Peter Obi’s grand entrance into the ADC convention with Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso following behind shows Obi’s new power as the one candidate the ADC would have to choose to lose the 2027 presidential election to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC who is the incumbent president. OBI’s popularity keeps soaring and it would be detrimental for the party to make any mistake of choosing any other candidate. It finally looks like Atiku Abubakar has to bow to pressure to step down.
The factors against Atiku are many. Nigeria needs a Southern President to battle Tinubu. Any change in that may result to the South overwhelmingly voting for Tinubu in protest. And the other notable reason is that younger politicians like Kwankwaso and Tambuwal would want to get the position of the Vice President under Obi than go all the way with Atiku.
The one problem now is if Atiku Abubakar is seeing this reality unfolding, and if he wants to fight on because this may be his last chance to go for it. Many already see Atiku as Emilokan, it is my turn president like Tinubu, because Atiku has not been saying anything serious about fixing the country than the same rhetoric of the past. Many perceive his ambition as just a man who think his last ambition is to become president. It is more about himself than Nigeria, just like Tinubu. The ADC would simply have nothing to campaign with an Atiku as their candidate.
That image of a Kwankwaso who has eaten a humble pie following Peter Obi at the ADC Convention is the loudest of statement that we should be talking about. Many may just see it as gathering of politicians, no, that body language solidifies Obi’s new influence.
