Azu Ishiekwene’s Mischievous Essay By Valentine Obienyem

In the morning of 26th of March, 2026, a man I hold in the highest regard sent me a WhatsApp message: “Azu shredding our man.” I immediately knew it was about Mr. Peter Obi. Titled “Obi’s Transition From Serious Contender to Mascot,” I had to read it. Four major strands are woven into the write-up, namely: that the nickname “Okwute” suggests strength and stability, yet the author argues that Obi’s political movements - party switches, alliances, and strategies - contradict that image, portraying him as flexible to a fault rather than firm. The author further contends that after the 2023 elections, instead of strengthening the Labour Party, building grassroots structures, and expanding influence, Obi focused on legal battles and future ambitions, thereby losing valuable momentum. The piece also uses Obi as a case study to criticise the broader opposition, suggesting a lack of organisation, strategy, and long-term planning compared to the ruling party. The bottom line is that the article is not merely about Obi as an individual; it advances a broader claim that charisma and public enthusiasm are insufficient in politics without structure, consistency, and strategic depth. After reading it, I called my friend back and delivered my verdict: “What a beautiful analysis!” He readily agreed. He also concurred with my concluding thought: the article brings to mind the elegant Latin saying, “Bene cucurrit, sed spatium defecit” - he ran a good race, but ran out of track. Yet, therein lies the fundamental flaw of the piece: it employs the wrong man as the specimen for what is otherwise a sound political analysis. What this means, in effect, is that while the framework of the argument may be compelling, its application is misplaced; the conclusions drawn lose their force because they are anchored to a subject who does not fit the diagnosis. The writer took off with the analysis of Obi’s name. I do not think it has any ontological relevance to understanding Obi in the context of Nigeria, but he went on to say that, unlike “Okwute”, Obi is “malleable, confused, and lacking in staying power.” Is this Obi? Not at all. If we must understand Obi, we must always remember that he bore in his veins the mark of discipline, resilience, and consistency shaped by political experience. We may go back to Obi’s political roots while striving to analyse his character properly. When Obi’s mandate was stolen in Anambra State, he did not run away nor compromise his position or his mandate. In spite of all manner of offers for him to abandon his tenure recovery cases, he moved on. He ended up becoming the first person to reclaim his stolen mandate through the courts at a time when all those who tried it in the past had to abandon the fight in flight. When he was impeached, it was the same. When he was removed when his tenure had not expired, he stayed on course and recovered his tenure. In fact, that was even the origin of staggered elections in Nigeria till today. Thus, whenever the political history of Nigeria is written, Obi must be credited with the introduction of far-reaching reforms in that political space more than any other person. Does this portray a man, in Azu’s words, as “malleable, confused, and lacking in staying power”? Azu must be analysing another person. Azu said Obi’s troops should be worried, including “social media avatars without voters’ cards.” I do not expect such language from him, because it is the language of those who rig elections or hide under “glitches” to wreak havoc on our electoral system. Dubious politicians - or those they tutor in the techniques of portraying the opposition as lacking real political power - often deploy such narratives so that when they have rigged, they can fall back on lines like: “Did we not tell you that social media avatars had no voters’ cards?” Azu is a media man, and no media man worth his salt is absent from social media platforms. Does that mean he does not have a voter’s card? Those he sees on social media are as important in their professions as he is in his own. The world is changing. Among the generation we call digital natives, we expect active participation on social media. It would therefore be wrong to assume that those on social media do not possess voter’s cards. “After the tale of him winning the 2023 presidential poll, an election in which he punched above his political weight and won in 12 states,” thus spoke Azu. He even spoke about the dearth of Labour Party agents. This already shows him as sharing the same line of thought with the ruling party. What is a “tale” about Obi winning the 2023 election? This is one of the tragedies of rigging. Once a court gives its final judgment, as in the case of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, people begin to speak as though he truly won, even when the opposite is too glaring to ignore. The fact of Obi’s victory, however, remains unchanged and has continued to deny Bat the support of legitimacy. If Azu was sincere, he would have qu

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