Analysis: how North embraces Peter Obi and Labour Party
No election can be as divisive as the 2023 general elections. The northern region which is conservative embraced Peter Obi despite the agitations from his own region for a Biafra Republic. North didn’t shun or snub the Labour Party even though it has a reason to.
Three main candidates jostled for the seat that Muhammadu Buhari currently occupies. Each of them comes from the three main ethnic groups in the country. And the permutation was that each of them would claim big victory within his tribe.
But north, perhaps for the first time, didn’t vote along the ethno-religion lines. North has always voted for a northerner whenever the opportunity presented itself. Even when Muhammadu Buhari was losing the presidential election, he still won key northern states of the federation.
The unknown gunmen are still on rampage in southeastern region including Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Abia and Anambra. There are still sit-at-home orders handed down by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). And Peter Obi himself has refused to openly commit himself to the unity of the country.
He has avoided topics related to the agitations of the IPOB and MASSOB. It seems to be a sensitive topic to him as he wouldn’t want to provoke his people, his base. Yet the northern voters embraced him by voting massively for him.
Peter Obi clinched the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The area belongs to all Nigerians. Yet there is no doubt that it’s located in the northern region of the country. If Kogi State is northern, the FCT can’t be southern. Peter Obi polled 281,717 votes.
The Federal Capital Territory hosts all tribes. That’s one indisputable reality. But the other parties performed far below average in the territory. Both the All Progressives Congress and People’s Democratic Party scored less than 170,000 votes combined.
What about Nasarawa State? Obi had a victory there as well. Does the state belong to the Igbo people? Nasarawa hosts lots of APC big names including national chairman Abdullahi Adamu and Tanko Al-Makura. Peter Obi polled 191,361 votes to beat others including Atiku Abubakar, a northerner.
The Director General of the Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Simon Lalong hails from Plateau State. There has been no nexus between the people of the state and Igbo in general. Surprisingly, the state went for Peter Obi.
The ex Anambra State governor scored 426,272 votes to dump Atiku Abubakar and Bola Tinubu. Mr. Rabiu Kwankwaso, another northerner in the race performed poorer in Plateau State.
Peter Obi almost claimed victory in core north Kaduna state. The northwest state produced more than one million votes in the presidential election. To an amazement, the Labour Party candidate got at least 20% of the votes from that state. He had 294,494 votes from Kaduna.
Bola Tinubu beat Obi with paltry 3,000 votes in Benue state. Does Benue belong to Igbo? Geopolitically, Benue is in the north. It’s a state in the north central part of Nigeria. Peter Obi got over 300,000 votes there.
Despite the fact that Atiku Abubakar hails from Adamawa state, Peter Obi still gave him a tough time. He scored 105,648 votes. Whereas about 600,000 votes were cast in that state.
He came up with a movement, with a campaign. Nigerians from all areas embraced it. He negotiated his way into their hearts. That is how elections are won. No election may be won through propaganda or intimidation of other tribes.
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