Ahead of the 2023 election, a third force has been recognized.
Many analysts argue that polls favours Peter Obi to be the winner of the upcoming presidential elections.
Obi is the presidential flag bearer of the Labour Party. His emergence as the candidate of the party has inspired national awakening among the youths who represent 70% of eligible voters in Nigeria.
IkejaBird looks at three times that Peter Obi turned a bad situation into a campaign strategy.
Nollywood Actor
In early February, Nasiru El Rufai, Kaduna State Governor in an attempt to trivialize Obi’s chances of winning the election described the LP candidate as a Nollywood actor.
By that, Elrufai is telling voters that Obi is not who claims to be.
In a Business day report on February 3, Obi had responded to the criticism saying he is happy to accept the role of an actor as he does not consider it to be derogatory.
He also said he will be engaging more Nollywood actors when he becomes President to see how the sector can drive economic development.
“And he realized the fact that I am an actor, and I think part of what is holding this country back from development is releasing those engines that will develop us. One of the most critical places I want to focus is on improving our entertainment industry until it grows,” he said.
“ The Nollywood! And now that I am an acclaimed actor, I ask all those who are involved in the entertainment industry, myself being one of them, to support me so that I can improve their position,” he added.
That was a clever way of turning a bad campaign into a positive one.
Stinginess as Economic Strategy
In a YouTube video that was published last year with the caption “Why I am Stingy,” Peter Obi was also able to tactically respond to critics who are against his frugality.
He mentioned a politically exposed woman who was continuously visiting his office to speak to the hardship in the state which was due to Obi’s frugality.
At some point, the lady came to him and informed him that the entire is not happy with his policy yet Peter Obi did not budge.
As a man who had a clear plan for the people of the state, he waited for the plans to ripen before harvesting it to share to the people.
He indicated that not long many people began to see why he had to be frugal as unpaid months of pensions and gratuity were all paid.
Peter Betrayed Jesus
Bola Tinubu, APC flag bearer was able to recognise the challenge that was Obi so he had dedicated much time pouncing at him more than he had done to Atiku Abubakar from the opposition party, PDP.
In a Cable News report in February, Tinubu was quoted to have said that anyone named Peter can not be trusted.
“The man who left here, he calls himself Peter Obi. We read in the Bible that before the cock crows three times, he will deny Jesus Christ,” he said.
“He denied. So, how can he keep a promise to you, if he cannot keep promise to God?
“How can a man be happy to keep his people at home, not working, and make them suffer because you want to prove a point.
“Has Bola Tinubu not proved a point? Did I close any market? Did I kill anybody? It means I am smart; I’m a thinker; I’m a doer. I even tamed the Atlantic. God bless you,” Tinubu said.
Many people considered what Tinubu said to be a political uppercut that may not be reversed by Peter Obi but how he responded is also a case study of how to turn lemon into lemonade.
“He is the rock on which Jesus entrusted the church. Entrust Nigeria to me and I will rebuild it. Datti & I are ready,” he said.
It was as simple as a response can be but its overall impact is immense as it was able to deflate Tinubu’s punch without an effort.
