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The gospel according to St. Peter Obi.
By Richard Augustine
The slogan; go and verify has been made popular by Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party. And he uses it recklessly even when some of the information he is churning out are false. I am not surprised because he is a regular politician. He can go to any length to woo the electorate in return for votes during elections.
Peter Obi is good because he is a master of the mind game. He understands the people’s psyche and how and when to make them gullible. This much has characterized his public outings since his romance with the Labour party began after the edge out from the PDP in the buildup to the presidential primaries.
The go-and-verify list is endless, and this piece is to put issues in proper perspectives for the unsuspecting members of the general public. Peter Obi is a businessman that would do everything to convince a potential buyer to buy his goods. These guys have the gift of the garb, which has worked magic in sustaining business and political empires.
However, I have a challenge with toying with the emotional sensibilities of the people whom he aspires to rule come 2023. Have we ever wondered why he is entrenched with the single narrative? ” I, Peter Obi, paid pensioners, I left monies in Anambra state coffers, I built roads, I built hospitals, I carry my bag myself, I have only one pair of shoes, I don’t have any house outside of Onitsha” etc. The list is endless and indicates that Peter Obi is a saint, whose gospel the Nigerian people must believe hook, line and sinker.
For example, Peter Obi said he was awarded best governor in health care in Nigeria by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2013. And he asked that Nigerians should “go and verify”. The verification returned that the information was not accurate. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recognized him as the best-performing governor in eradicating polio in the south-east.
A good feat in the South East region. Even at that, eradicating polio in Nigeria is a national concern. All governors elected by the people are duty-bound to work towards eradicating polio with the relevant federal government agencies. It was the state’s resources at work, not his personal resources. And likewise, other state governors did make efforts towards eradicating polio. This claim was false and typical of Peter Obi.
Peter Obi also claimed governors formed the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in the south-east. In his words, “The Eastern Security Network was formed by the government of eastern states. The governors formed the security team; how can I condemn them? I’ve spoken about sit-at-home and I can tell you there was even a place they mentioned me. Everything I say, go and verify”
This is another one that failed verification as ESN was the creation of the Indigenous People of Biafra in 2020 with the primary responsibility to protect the south-east from terrorists and other criminal elements.
Peter Obi’s claim that out of 150 players in the American NBA, almost 100 are Nigerians is also worthy of scrutiny. Was he accurate in his postulation? The answer is no. According to NBA, about 109 international players registered for the league’s 2021-2022 season, and only five are from Nigeria.
Peter Obi’s claim that Nigeria’s total export was less than 30 billion US dollars in 2021 also shook the airwaves. “Nigeria is a country with 923,000 square kilometres of land and a population of 200 million people. God blessed us with oil and other resources. We have over 100 million people living in poverty. But to show that we are not a producing country, last year, our total export, including oil, was less than 30 billion dollars; that is why we can’t find dollars today.”
However, a report by the National Bureau of Statistics titled “Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics (Q4 2021)” shows that Nigeria’s total exports amounted to $47 billion (18.9 trillion naira in 2021 while total imports stood at N20.84 trillion.
The interesting angle is that this trend didn’t start today. Peter Obi, in 2019 as the vice presidential candidate of the PDP, also churned out inaccuracies during public outings. And I am not sure he has ever apologized for misleading people into believing his half-truths. For example, in 2019, he claimed that Nigeria was the third most insecure place to live on the earth’s surface.”
This was also false because, at the time, the Global Peace Index released annually by the Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace, known globally to give such rankings, ranked Nigeria 16th among the least secure countries to live in. Afghanistan, Syria, South Sudan, Yemen and Iraq were the five least secure countries.
These and many more were the hallmarks of the Peter Obi outings. I often wonder whether these actions are deliberate or a function of grandstanding. I think they are intentional and a function of grandstanding, which smacks of deceit in my opinion. I can safely say Peter Obi might be suffering from Mythomania and Pseudologia fantastica, a chronic compulsive or habitual lying behaviour.
People suffering from Mythomania and Pseudologia fantastica are known for creating a false history, such as saying they’ve achieved or experienced something they haven’t. Such people get an instant high by spinning stories and telling them to people. And the lies are very extravagant and exaggerated. That is Peter Obi for you in his elements.
I am not convinced he is someone Nigerians should take seriously. It is obvious that he is not a team player. Have we wondered why he appears to be a lone ranger? Aside from the support he has garnered in the social media space by mostly gullible Nigerians that fell for his antics, there has not been any significant support from his team that worked with him while he was governor of Anambra state.
And to confirm this, he has not been quoted to have commended those that worked with him. It has been about him and what he did as governor. Maybe he is the all-knowing type that doesn’t see any good in the efforts of others other than himself. He is also one individual that wants all the glory. And to achieve this, he goes overboard in making outright insinuations and illogical conclusions.
I am not convinced this is what Nigerians need at this critical point of our existence. We want a president that would put issues in proper perspective and not give false hope to the people. We want a president who would recognize the efforts of others and give credit when necessary and not distort facts in a masturbatory drive for self-glory.
At this point, I want to encourage Nigerians to take the time to verify any gospel from Saint Peter Obi. He can’t continue to quote what happened in the Book of Jeremiah in Job. And he can’t also concoct events in his head and pass them on as reality.
We can’t attain any progress with a pathological liar as president. This is why Peter Obi remains a joke taken too far. It is my prayer that in the weeks and months ahead, Nigerians will see the game plan of Peter Obi. And also, we should expect more fallacies from his stable. Many have indeed been deceived. This is a shame.
Augustine is a political analyst based in Abuja.
News
SERAP sues Akpabio over ‘failure to reverse unlawful suspension of Natasha Akpoti’

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against Senate President Godswill Akpabio over the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The group argues that the suspension is unlawful and violates her fundamental right to freedom of expression.
SERAP is seeking a court order compelling Akpabio to reverse the six-month suspension, reinstate Akpoti-Uduaghan, and restore all her legislative privileges. The organization also wants an injunction preventing the Senate from imposing further disciplinary actions against her for expressing her views.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended after she reportedly spoke without permission and rejected a new seat assignment in the Senate chamber. As part of her suspension, her salary and allowances have been withheld, and she has been barred from identifying as a senator.
In its suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP contends that the suspension deprives Akpoti-Uduaghan’s constituents of political representation. The organization also argues that penalizing a senator for exercising free speech creates a chilling effect on other lawmakers.
“No one should ever be punished for speaking without permission,” SERAP stated. “The Senate should uphold the rule of law and protect human rights, not suppress them.”
The group cites constitutional provisions and international human rights treaties, including Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
SERAP maintains that the Senate Standing Orders cannot override constitutional guarantees of free speech. The lawsuit emphasizes that restricting a senator’s expression undermines democracy and violates Nigerians’ right to receive information and participate politically.
No date has been set for the hearing of the case.
News
Market associations, women groups knock el-Rufai, rally support for Tinubu, Gov Sani

Ahead of the 2027 elections, hundreds of members of market associations and numerous women groups in Kaduna state at the weekend, occupied Kaduna metropolis in a peaceful demonstration where they reiterated their loyalty and support to the administration of
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The protesters who alleged that they had bitter experiences during the El-Rufa’i administration, said they would remain where Governor Uba Sani stood and advised the citizens of Kaduna not to be deceived by doing the contrary.
They recounted their ordeals during the 8 years of the previous administration, alleging that hundreds of market shops belonging to individuals were either seized, demolished or confiscated, a situation that triggered ill health in many traders and business owners leading to paralysis and multiple deaths of their colleagues.
“We’ve been in the market for over 40 years and have never experienced the kind of set backs we suffered under the previous Governor.”
“A lot of lives were lost,a lot of finances were ruined by reason of his kind of policies. We are here to speak with one voice and say that anything that would kind of revive such kind of philosophy in Kaduna market, we don’t want it,” Daniel Audu Maigari, a stakeholder of the Kaduna Market associations, has said.
He explained that “this incumbent Governor began by healing the wounds, the wounds that were really severed by the former Governor. Governor Uba Sani has been doing so,so very well and that’s why we’ve been with our leader, Alhaji Abdurrahman Mohammed, who like Governor Sani,has been charting the right course, ensuring programmes and plans that will heal these wounds .”
He said there was never been a time they are having the impact of leadership in Kaduna market, like they are having now.
” Now we’ve lots of incentives, lots of policies that are driving us to progress .We are now standing with one voice to denounce anything that would reverse this,” he said.
Alhaji Daiyabu Ismail Mai Gwanjo, Chairman Stakeholders of the Kaduna State Market Traders associations, said on behalf of their leader,Alhaji Abdurrahman Mohammed, his EXCO and all trader leaders in the 23 Local Government Areas of Kaduna State, they have gathered to unilaterally declare an unalloyed support to Governor Uba Sani who had taken care of them and protected their interests.
According to him,” we have to say so,haven had the harrowing experience in the hands of the past administration. The scar still remains and many are yet to recover.”
“But when Almighty Allah sent Governor Uba Sani to us,he declared he would not do anything bad to traders because the world thrives on businesses.All the most cherished countries like China, Canada, UAE, India,are very proud of and supportive to their traders and other business persons.”
“Unfortunately, we found ourselves during the previous administration that neither showed empathy nor sympathy to traders. An approximate number of 36 markets were demolished at that time.None of these markets was completely rebuild ,till date,and we are suspicious of the collaboration between the previous administration and the market developers.”
“We are therefore calling on Governor Uba Sani, our Governor of sympathy and understanding, to look at this issue with a view to resolving it.We are with Uba Sani a hundred percent, ” he added.
Hajiya Hadiza Abdulaziz,a woman leader of the market association,said they have gathered in multitudes to reiterate their support to the APC and Governor Uba Sani who has tremendously supported the market men and women in Kaduna State.
” Most of the market women had no shops because the shops were collected. But now we give God the glory everybody has gotten their shops back and nobody will collect it again,” she said.
She expressed happiness that those making the market women not to achieve, had left the party and government.
“We’ve been crying, a lot of market women don’t have capital, they have been deceiving us.But now,I believe Governor Uba Sani is going to assist us,”she added.
The protesters later took to the streets ,displaying placards with various inscriptions denouncing the previous arrangements, and chanting slogans in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Uba Sani and the All Progressives Congress, APC.
” Most of the market women had no shops because the shops were collected. But now we give God the glory everybody has gotten their shops back and nobody will collect it again,” she said.
She expressed happiness that those making the market women not to achieve, had left the party and government.
“We’ve been crying, a lot of market women don’t have capital, they have been deceiving us.But now,I believe Governor Uba Sani is going to assist us,”she added.
The protesters later took to the streets ,displaying placards with various inscriptions denouncing the previous arrangements, and chanting slogans in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Uba Sani and the All Progressives Congress, APC.
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