Susan Abayomi
Former Edo State governor and APC chieftain, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, has dismissed Peter Obi’s showing in the 2023 presidential election as a product of public anger, not political structure. Speaking in a recent interview ahead of 2027, Oshiomhole said Obi’s votes were driven by frustration with the two major parties rather than by the strength of the Labour Party as an institution.
According to Oshiomhole, Nigerians in 2023 were tired of both the APC and the PDP and were looking for any alternative to express that dissatisfaction. He argued that Obi “benefited” from that mood, and that the movement was more a protest vote than a reflection of organized party machinery. The comment mirrors what other political figures have said in the past, that the LP wave was fueled by voter fatigue.
Oshiomhole also downplayed Obi as a threat to President Tinubu in 2027. He suggested that the “rhetoric” that worked in 2023 will not work again unless Obi comes with “another gimmick”. In his view, Tinubu’s experience as a “dyed-in-the-wool politician” makes him difficult to beat, because he “knows the terrain well” and “has worked with everyone.
Obi’s camp has rejected that framing. The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr Yunusa Tanko, said the movement has studied its shortcomings from 2023 and is now expanding grassroots mobilization, especially in the North, by engaging traditional rulers and community leaders. Tanko argued that the goal is visibility “in every home,” and that once the grassroots are captured, political leaders will follow.
Analysts note that Obi’s 2023 performance was unusual because many of the LP candidates who won seats had little name recognition or structure before the election. They rode on Obi’s popularity and the “Obidient” wave, suggesting that voters transferred confidence in Obi directly to other candidates. That dynamic is what Oshiomhole and others describe as anger-driven, while Obi’s supporters call it a shift toward issue-based politics.
Obi himself has tried to reframe the conversation around 2027. He said he is contesting because he believes he can “fix” Nigeria, unite the country, and show “what is possible”. He also stressed that Nigeria’s progress matters more than whether he personally becomes president. On campaign style, he has said discourse should focus on poverty, insecurity, education and healthcare rather than attacks.
The exchange highlights how both sides are already positioning for 2027. APC leaders like Oshiomhole are arguing that 2023 was an outlier driven by protest, while the opposition, including Obi and allied parties, insist the anger reflected a demand for accountable governance that has not gone away. With talks of alliances and single candidates already surfacing, Oshiomhole’s remarks signal that the APC will be testing whether that “public anger” can still translate into votes without the same conditions that defined 2023.
