Donu Kogbara, an international journalist and former Obidient Movement member, claims that Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential contender, is falling short of expectations.
She claims that although Peter Obi got a lot of support and inspired many Nigerians in the run-up to the 2023 elections, his reputation took a sharp decline following the election.
Kogbara stated the Labour Party is like a sinking ship and the lawmakers must battle for their lives, in light of recent high-profile defections from the party.
Even though Obi is still a good man, she insisted in an interview with Arise News that he has failed to deliver the kind of opposition leadership that garnered him a lot of support from young Nigerians and other Nigerians in the run-up to the 2023 elections.
According to Kogbara, Obi has let down a lot of the obedient movement’s supporters.
As she put it, “Well, rats have always abandoned sinking ships, so the Labour Party should bid those five lawmakers farewell.” If their actions are legal—which I’m not even sure they are—they have the right to do as they like. The Labour Party, however, is obviously in trouble, in my opinion. The traitor, who was being influenced by foreign forces, and their chairmanship were the subject of all that drama.
“I simply cannot stand those who lack honor.” Consequently, the entire situation and additional factors made it challenging for the Labour Party to operate as a legitimate party. However, Peter Obi himself is the thing that saddens me the most, not so much what the senators and members of the House of Representatives do.
“I simply cannot comprehend how someone who was this brilliant, inspirational leader who started a movement virtually immediately, inspired young people, intellectuals, and anyone with any moral fiber in their veins to at least admire him to some degree, even if they weren’t going to vote for him for whatever reason, has gone from the top to the bottom.
I think of him as a damp squib that has transformed from a firework. He has achieved great success. All I see of him is him occasionally making bland remarks on TV, sponsoring boreholes, or something. It’s all positive. Although the opposition sorely needs a leader, he is still a kind man. He doesn’t seem like it.
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In addition, Kogbara said that Obi and the rest of Nigeria’s opposition movement, including Atiku Abubakar, are not doing enough to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was also held accountable by her for the crisis that has rocked the PDP.
She did, however, save the majority of the criticism for Obi, calling him a disappointment who lacks the courage to confront the current administration about its shortcomings.
“I hold my dear friend Nyesom Wike responsible for the derailment of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the entire opposition. “I would have thrown you out by now if I were a PDP Mandarin,” I told him when I met him a few months ago. I also hold Atiku Abubakar responsible for failing to adequately challenge the administration and spending more time as a big man akin to Dubai.
And I hold Peter Obi mostly responsible since he was a bright star and many people, including myself, emotionally devoted themselves to him. To tell the truth, Obidient is such a letdown that I no longer consider him to be Obidient. Really, there isn’t any hostility.
“The government is terrible. I’ve noticed that there haven’t been any herdsmen antics since President Bola Tinubu took office, so I suppose that’s about the only positive thing he’s done. Therefore, if it is his doing, I commend him for that.
“But there are a lot of things that this government is doing incorrectly, like awarding contracts without following the proper procedures, economic collapse, soaring inflation, widespread hunger, and disillusionment, and you never hear anything really punchy from Peter Obi,” she argued.
Not finished with her jabs, Kogbara claimed that Peter Obi is too gentle and that his behavior has let many people down. The former LP presidential candidate, she argued, can achieve more as the leading opposition figure.
He is too gentle. Yes, he has a lot, but he could pursue a lot more, and if he did, the public would support him greatly. I’m not just speaking for myself; I’m speaking for hundreds of dissatisfied Obidients, whether they are present or former Obidients. A weak opposition leader is not what we want. He is the main attraction. The PDP and Atiku ought to be doing more as well. However, she pointed out that Peter is the main opposition player and that he isn’t performing well enough.
