Politics
Peter Obi’s 2023 Presidential Hope In Danger After Anambra Polls
By Political Editor
The assumed 2023 presidential aspiration of Mr. Peter Obi was at the weekend under the searchlight following his failure to deliver Mr. Valentine Ozigbo, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP candidate in the Anambra State election.
With 19 of the 21 Local Government Areas reporting, the PDP candidate was a distant second behind the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA candidate, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo who was backed by the outgoing governor of the state, Chief Willie Obiano.
GreenWhiteGreen GWG reports that Soludo polled a total of 103, 946 votes followed by Mr Valentine Ozigbo who scored 51,322 votes. Senator Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress, APC polled 42,942 to emerge third.
Peter Obi who pushed forward Obiano as his successor in 2013 after two terms as governor, however, fell out with him and defected to the PDP on whose platform he ran as the party’s vice-presidential candidate in 2019.
Obi is also held as the dominant player in the Anambra State chapter of the PDP and was widely believed to have been the main political power behind the emergence of Ozigbo as the party’s candidate for the governorship election.
Mutters arising from the conduct of the PDP primaries provoked many party loyalists. Several chieftains disdainful of Peter Obi’s large role in the emergence of Ozigbo as the PDP candidate withdrew from active participation in the PDP campaign.
Some others, however, defected from the party at what they believed was the dominance of Peter Obi over the party in Anambra.
The Peter Obi factor was expected to transmit through the governorship and provide what political stakeholders say is the springing board for his 2023 presidential aspiration.
However, with the results putting his candidate, Ozigbo in a distant position even before the Ihalia Local Government Area election on Tuesday, political pundits have taken to Twitter to give opinion on the effect of the Anambra State election on Peter Obi and 2023.
GreenWhiteGreen GWG gathered some of the reactions which assert that though Peter Obi remains a benchmark for performance in governance but that his politics may have been ensnared by the outcome of the guber polls.
Ayekooto @thebardogbamola
With this Anambra result, not sure a @PeterObi presidency is feasible anymore. Igbos need to do more Sha!
Onye Nkuzi @cchukudebelu
Val has a bright future in front of him, but he has nowhere near the first name recognition of Charles Soludo.
I think Val is an asset to PDP, they should continue to engage with him. While Peter Obi is still immensely popular, Anambra is not Lagos, the dynamics are different.
Dennis O. Adesanoye @stdennis02
Either Peter Obi delivered his constituency or not is inconsequential. His name wasn’t on the ballot paper. APGA winning his constituency doesn’t remove any shine from Obi. Anambra is APGA. He intellectually remains one of the best for presidency come 2023.
Tochukwu @Tokwonna
Former CBN governor, that also excelled at his job, is on the ballot and you want us to vote for somebody that we don’t know, because he is in PDP? We no dey do ‘Baba said’ politics. Peter Obi is our man, but if he doesn’t present the right candidates he won’t win.
Winners Avenue only @Chydec1
Only Igbos are expected to do more in this wrong conglomerate called Nigeria. Obasanjo lost all the states in the Southwest to AD yet he won presidency. Buhari won APC ticket with PDP as Governor in his state, but Peter Obi needs to do more as an Igbo man to win. It is your loss.
Ezinna. S. Ezinna, MBA @ezinna2x
One immutable fact from this #AnambraDecides2021 debate is that Peter Obi’s performance as the governor of Anambra state is the new metric for measuring excellence in governance. All the candidates kept referencing his achievements. We need to celebrate Okwute ndi Igbo
Arthur Chuchu Ibeneme @IjeleNnia
Ndi Anambra, if you want to improve Peter Obi’s chances of becoming President in 2023, shame the enemies of progress and vote Val Ozigbo tomorrow. Val has a history of excellence in all previous endeavours. Ezigbo mmadụ that does not belong to the past. He is the better choice
Akwa ọkụkọ tiwara aki 1 n’Alaigbo @AfamDeluxo
The only person that can beat Peter Obi’s record in Anambra state amongst the aspirants is Valentine Ozigbo. #AnambraDecides
Everest @novieverest
APC are more comfortable with Val losing than Andy Uba winning. Why? They are focused on Peter Obi. Never seen people that lose election and are celebrating. Told you, they never had plans for Andy Uba winning fairly. They either right or pray PDP lose with them. Funny clowns.
Nwammuo @W_rainaike
Peter Obi wasn’t on the ballot. Soludo is a household name, just like Obi. It’s not about the party this time, it’s about the persons to be governor
Olaudah Equiano® @RealOlaudah
Ndi Anambra have a mind of their own. They’re so politically savy. Manipulation and herd mentality isn’t their fort. As popular as Peter Obi is, he couldn’t sway voters to his candidate in 2017 for same reason. In this elections, they’re again deciding their fate by themselves!
Send Us A Press Statement Advertise With Us Contact Us
And For More Nigerian News Visit GWG.NG
