By Ismail Shuaib
IBADAN: Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on Sunday met separately with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja, turning what looked like routine courtesy calls into a potent political statement.
Obi, flanked by close political associates including Dr Yunusa Tanko, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, and Segun Adebanjo, used the visits to hammer home a familiar theme: Nigeria’s survival depends on unity, fairness, love, and justice. But beneath the carefully chosen words lies a clear message — the project of “a new Nigeria” is very much alive.
Coming barely two years to the next electoral cycle, Obi’s pilgrimage to two influential power centres in the South-West is bound to raise eyebrows. Obasanjo remains a master political tactician whose blessing is courted by contenders across party lines, while the Olubadan represents a critical cultural and political constituency in Oyo and beyond.
By stressing the need for “a competent team with capacity, compassion, and commitment,” Obi subtly reiterated his trademark campaign mantra — capacity plus character — and rekindled talk of whether he is already laying the groundwork for another presidential run in 2027.
Analysts say the timing of the visit, coupled with the strategic mix of his entourage, sends a signal that Obi is not retreating into political quietude. Instead, he appears to be positioning himself as the rallying point for disenchanted Nigerians searching for an alternative political force.
“The meetings only reinforce my belief that the Nigeria of our dreams is possible,” Obi declared after the engagements — a line that will resonate with his supporters and, perhaps, unsettle his rivals.
