Incidentally, Nigerians and Africans would hardly be able to predict the exact impact of the 'Obidient' Movement on the 2023 Presidential election in Nigeria and beyond. However, the daily and steady growth as well as the strength of the movement is already attracting global attention. And for some of us, the movement is set to revolutionize and redefine Nigeria, Africa, and global politics from the practical standpoint of the duties and responsibilities of leaders and followers.
A few days ago, an American Facebook friend of mine wrote to ask me the meaning of 'Obidients' that the social media space is currently awash with. Responding, I took time to tell him our obvious, interesting but not so palatable political history and development since the precolonial era. Having established the ugly times, we have been through a lot as a nation; I zeroed into the last 22 years of our political development (our current 4th republic), and sadness embraced my heart as I explained how we have progressively retrogressed.
My heart broke and I felt like I was reliving the accumulated burden of this 4th Republic as I narrated the ordeal of the last 22 years and how as a nation our leaders have progressively set new barometers for corruption, insecurity, nepotism and failed economic policies. The tears of my soul opened the realities of how the policies of our old, recycled, selfish, corrupt, nepotistic, and unpatriotic leaders have unleashed terror on the populace to the extent that sorrow, tears, hopelessness, and blood remain the extant results.
I was happy to talk about how happy, hospitable, and resilient Nigerians are. I was however angry to emphasize that the last 7 years of Buhari and APC stepped up the nations gloom and doom to the extent that for the first time since the end of the civil war in 1970, our resilience is being tested to a breaking point. The daily harvest of needless death in the hands of terrorists of all shades, our national economic collapse leading to untold hardship, the oppressive extravagance of the ruling class, the hopelessness in our broken health, and educational infrastructure and many more are palpable testaments to our recent history presided over by President Buhari and his cronies.
In the midst of the hopelessness, 2023 Presidential election beckons with fear and concern that the same old culture of choosing between recycled 'political devils’ would again present itself. To put it in perspective, over 200 million Nigerians wallow under the economic and political subjugation of a few thousand political lords who are under one percent of the population. This less than 1% of the population control over 80 percent of our national wealth. They present to us a nation where politicians with no business addresses are perpetually richer than Nigerian business people and entrepreneurs. And that is part of our tragedy that looks to be renewed in 2023. God forbids!
As the political process leading to 2023 develops, Nigerians in their fears and uncertainties helplessly observed varying political intrigues from 'Tambuwarisation' to `alleged` Delegates buying. All hope was lost and in the mounting helplessness, many resigned to faith by deciding to make a choice between two old recycled 'devils'. Alas, the unexpected happened as a certain Peter Obi emerged as a candidate under a relatively unknown political party without `structure`. But Peter Obi is verified and known to many as an embodiment of prudence, progressive conservatist with sound and record-breaking economic background. He is also young, hale, hearty, and intellectually sagacious. You can go and verify.
In no time, his words (past and present) were embraced as speaking to hope and oxygenation of our educational infrastructure currently in coma; our economic resurgence was seen through his heart while a secured and law-abiding Nigeria stands out as a firm possibility in his disposition. Indeed, a New Nigeria that will be catalyst for Africa's redefinition appeared on the horizon through him.
As the gospel grew from those who knew him to those who started knowing him, hope was once again restored in the future of Nigeria as Peter Obi clearly stands out as an alternative that we can believe in. As more people began to get baptized into this belief, an Obi movement was born. In no time, the movement turned into 'Obi-dience' to the new Nigeria that beckons with Peter Obi. Today, OBI-ISM is becoming revolutionary. People now proudly pride themselves as Obidified, Obedient, Obicentric and Obi-istic. Time will tell how the world will be impacted by it. Surely, the world will be impacted, and I am happily 'Obidient'.
Finally, I asked my American Facebook friend, 'Mr Mark Biden, do you now understand the meaning of Obidient?' In his reply, he said to me 'read the caption on my profile'. I opened his profile and it read ' I AM AN AMERICAN AND I AM PROUDLY OBIDIENT.
Comrade Lamptay Oriakhi is a Public Affairs Commentator