By Steve Osuji 

A Rock and a Hard Place: It was a hard decision. But it had to be made, and very quickly too. And on the 31st of December, 2025, Peter Obi decided to formally join Nigeria’s coalition political group, the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Let’s say he bit the bullet.

It’s symbolic he chose the last day of the year. It’s even more so that the venue had to be Enugu, the regional seat of the Igbo. And more remarkable, for the first time since Obi disrupted the political equation of  Nigeria about five years ago, notable Igbo leaders are arrayed behind him.

At the Enugu declaration,  there were five former governors of the Southeast in his corner; several serving senators and other respectable Igbo leaders and prominent figures like Chief Simeon Okeke, Prof. Pat Utomi and Osita Ogbu and Sen. Eyinnaya Abaribe, to name a few. There was also ADC chairman, David Mark and former governors Tambuwal and Osarienren of Sokoto and Edo respectively; among others.

In an arid political era, that was an assemblage of the cream of the crop of Igbo politics today.

The gathering speaks volumes; for once, there seems to be a meeting of minds of Igbo leaders and  all facing one direction and pursuing one goal.

It must have taken some doing to mesh together, this caucus! It’s even more salutary that they are queueing behind one of their own.

Igboland have never enjoyed this size of unity of purpose and this kind of ime-obi (elders conclave) camaraderie for a long time. It seems like a good omen for Peter Obi.

But the matter is not so straightforward. Recall that this column had in a recent edition urged Obi to shun the ADC.

The reasons were simple. Obi had been boxed between a rock and a hard place, so to speak.

While rampaging President Bola Tinubu and his APC had devised a scorch-earth strategy to capture and close the entire Nigeria political space on the one hand,  the coalition ADC on its part, already has the imprimatur of Atiku Abubakar stamped on it. This makes the party impregnable to other aspirants.

Therefore, as at 31st December, Peter Obi actually had two choices: either to quit politics honourably or join the ADC where he has a slim chance of getting a presidential ticket; where he may be consigned to the role of a bit player.

Whatever choice Obi made, he would probably be condemned by history as THE BEST LEADER WHO NEVER LED! Nigeria’s own Alexander Hamilton of sorts.

Again, whatever choice he made, he would alienate the OBiDIENTS movement, his teeming ‘cult’ followers across the country.

PROMETHEUS BOUND AGAIN:  It’s strongly believed that the best Obi would get in the ADC would be the running mate slot… behind Atiku Abubakar!

Die hard Obi supporters like Professor Pat Utomi and Aisha Yusufu have already vowed to disown Obi should he play second fiddle to any candidate. These are the signature supporters.

Millions of his followers and acolytes across the country would be stricken.

Obi for them is not only their president already, he represents, a certain Prometheus, the Greek god who beat all odds to light up the earth and liberate hapless earthlings. But the goodly god was met with a torrid fate. He was eternally bound to a rock to pine away but was eventually freed by Hercules.

Peter to his large followers, is a paradigm shift for Nigeria. He is believed to be the change Nigeria has awaited for 66 years. They were actually on the cusp of stealing the thunder from Nigeria’s old order in 2023 but the tide was turned against them at the nick of time. The old warhorses “glitched” the process at the last minute and practically had to force back the hand of the clock.

WILL ATIKU BUDGE:?  Not likely. Not with a Philharmonic of marabouts chanting the majesty of Atiku’s position day and night. He’s already gone beyond the ADC primary. He’s probably at the stage of making a running mate deal with Obi.

Pundits believe only Atiku can wrench power from the sitting President, Tinubu. With the north much disillusioned with the present administration, they would easily vote en masse for their own. The idea of power returning to the north would also be a great advantage in this calculation.

While Peter Obi would of course, lose a chunk of OBiDIENTS, a good number would tarry if convinced that Atiku is  the stepping stone to their objective which is ultimately: the making of a new Nigeria!

WHY WON’T ATIKU BACK OBI TO THE DIADEM? Simple: Atiku is not a democrat; he’s a powermonger who seeks to bear the title, ‘President’ at all cost. Otherwise, with a strong backing from Atiku and the entire coalition, Obi will easily win a historic pan-Nigerian mandate in 2027. 

Apart from Obi’s magical nationwide appeal, power rotation also favours the southeast.

This is not to mention Obi’s vow to do only one term of four years so power would return to the north in 2031.

RULING APC IN PAINS: As the two major contenders in the 2023 polls come together, ruling APC has been reeling in severe pains. There’s no doubt that Obi and Atiku on one card would be almost impossible to beat.

Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga was first to make a painful yelp hours after Obi’s announcement. He sounded as if he was struck by a thunderbolt in his hurried, disjointed press release.

Few days ago, it was Festus Keyamo, Aviation Minister who gripped about Obi playing second fiddle as if that has become a criminal offence. As if Obi is the cause of the mire that’s aviation in Nigeria under Keyamo’s watch. APC is surely in a bad place right now! 

AS OBI CHOOSES REALPOLITIK… Peter Obi will need a bit of hardshell to convince his  adherents that joining ADC or even playing second to obdurate Atiku is the best option available.

He set the tone in his grand Enugu speech: “Let history record that Nigeria’s turning point begins here and now. Together, with courage, unity, and resolve, we can build a new, productive, and inclusive Nigeria.”

Finally, has Obi bitten the bullet or is he stooping to conquer? Time will tell.

LAST LINE: LEADERS CONTINUE THE REVEL…  At a time of roiling poverty, Nigeria’s leaders, especially public officials, seem to develop a special fervour for obscene living. A viral post during the year-end season suggests that about a dozen governors were holidaying abroad. The President too seems to be more at home in Europe and Arabia than in Nigeria recently, (nigh every Nigerian wants to flee, actually.)

Meanwhile, Nigeria remains on tenterhooks. Hunger is still pervasive. Insecurity is not abating, jobs are not being created just as the flailing economy enjoys no reprieve.

Let our leaders quit politicking and junketing. Let’s  sit up ###