โSurely in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird.โ ~ Proverbs 1:17 (KJV)
The sudden chorus within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) calling for Mr. Peter Obiโs return to fly their presidential flag in 2027 may sound like reconciliation, but its deeper tone carries the vibrations of entrapment. This is not a sincere invitation; it is a cunning bait; meticulously crafted to lure a credible man into a collapsing structure, only to be discredited, weakened, and discarded when it matters most.
Todayโs PDP is a shadow of itself, barely standing under the weight of internal contradictions, external manipulations, and a dangerous alignment with the very power it claims to oppose. Most of its governors are either openly or covertly aligned with the APC-led Federal Government, not by ideology, but by fear. They fear the now notorious rigging fiat of a regime that has captured virtually every organ of state, judiciary, INEC, security institutions, all of which ought to guarantee free and fair elections. What we see today is not federalism; it is full-blown state capture.
And in the centre of this compromised equation stands the Wike gang, a political syndicate whose allegiance has shifted, whose roots are now firmly planted within the corridors of the APC, even while they puppeteer what remains of the PDP. The partyโs leadership no longer answers to the Board of Trustees or the will of the people. It dances to the tune of Wike and his cohorts, whose own loyalty lies far from any opposition ideal. What, then, is the basis of the call for Peter Obiโs return? What structure awaits him in that wilderness?
Even if, by some unlikely stroke of imagination, Peter Obi is handed the PDP ticket, on merit, consensus, or strategic desperation; it will still amount to political theatre. For when it matters most, at the collation centres, in the courtrooms, in the backrooms where elections are truly won or lost, those who crowned him will conspire to crucify him. They will sabotage the process with silence, with betrayal, with engineered chaos. They will shake his hand in the morning and sink the knife by night.
This is why the PDP platform, no matter how repackaged, cannot deliver a new Nigeria. Obiโs values, discipline, frugality, justice, are allergic to the toxic machinery of a party built on rent-seeking, transactional politics, and elite capture. The PDP wants Obiโs crowd, not his creed. They want his political capital, not his convictions. He will become, at best, a beautiful face framed on a crumbling wall, a token of credibility masking a crisis of conscience.
This is precisely why the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as the coalition convergence party, must get its house in order, and do so with urgency. The hope of the masses now rests on this emerging coalition. But hope, however bright, must be structured. The ADC must listen to the heartbeat of the nation, and in doing so, provide clarity, not confusion; conviction, not convenience. The choice of who flies the coalition’s presidential flag in 2027 must not be delayed. It must reflect the mood of the people. It must capture the urgency of now.
If the wrong candidate is fielded; one that does not resonate with Nigerians’ yearnings for justice, competence, and inclusiveness, the coalition risks disintegration. But if the right peg is placed in the right hole, the 2027 election will transcend party lines. It will become a moral referendum. A movement. A total mobilization of the masses against everything this current system represents.
This is the moment for sacrificial leadership, not political double-speak. No one must be allowed to blow hot and cold. No aspirant should be permitted to reduce this historic opportunity to mere transactional politics. This is a time to shed ethnic garbs, personal entitlements, and ego battles – for a higher calling looms: the redemption of Nigeria.
And truth be told, Peter Obi, as things stand, remains the most credible, acceptable, and mobilizing face for the coalition. His message has taken root in the consciousness of the Nigerian people. His name still rings with hope among the downtrodden, the youth, the middle class, and the diaspora. But the vessel through which he returns must be one that reflects the new Nigeria he preaches, not the relics of an old order that has sabotaged every opportunity for national rebirth.
Let it be stated with utmost clarity: the PDPโs open arms are neither clean nor warm. Their olive branch is withered. What they offer Obi is not a platform, it is a pitfall. A snare. A carefully scripted political ambush meant to destroy from within what they could not defeat from without. And in their calculations, should he reject the offer, they will accuse him of arrogance. Should he accept it, they will reduce him to a pawn. Either way, their motive is not national healing, it is political survival.
Therefore, the ADC must lead with vision. It must consolidate internal unity, build formidable structures across zones, and outline a transparent pathway to leadership emergence that can inspire trust. Nigerians are watching. And if this opportunity is lost; if this movement is hijacked or diluted, many may never rise again with the same fervor.
Let Peter Obi and the coalition beware. Let the core protagonists and drivers of the coalition vehicle, Obi, Atiku, Rufai, Amaechi, and others whose voices and visions shape the destiny of the ADC, be fully conscious of these glaring realities. These are not minor red flags; they are pivotal factors that can either make or mar the coalitionโs future. The decisions made now will determine whether this alliance births a new Nigeria or becomes just another political detour. A trap does not announce itself with a trumpet. And when the net is spread in the sight of the bird, only the foolish still fly into it.
โUgochimereze Chinedu Asuzu
Public Affairs Analyst|July 26, 2025
