2023: Why The North Would Have No Problem Supporting Peter Obi Matters Arising By Osigwe Omo-Ikirodah 

Nigeria, without a doubt, is on the verge of history, with insurgencies, banditry, corruption, ethnic bigotry, religious extremism, ritual killings, kidnapping and other mundane occurrences continuing unabated, endangering our peaceful coexistence as a nation.

There is no denying that the high rate of illiteracy in Nigeria directly contributes to many of the crimes and issues the nation faces. Not only does it allow social vices to flourish, but it also prevents people from constructively influencing the development of the country.

Again, we have a major problem on our hands, but we do not see it as a major challenge that requires immediate attention. According to statistics, Nigeria's illiteracy rate is as high as 62 per cent, and the figures show no signs of improvement.

The burden of illiteracy in Nigeria supports the argument that ignoring basic education has serious consequences for the populace. No northern state ranks among the top ten in the country in terms of literacy levels.

It would be fantastic to see the Northern region rank as highly as the ones in the South, as this rank did not start today and has been fairly consistent for a while. Despite the fact that there is a clear deficiency in education in the North, it has not been adequately addressed.

What are the real solutions to this anomaly that would fit in with the North's cultural milieu?  Again, this should be dealt with urgently in order to fill the gap the North is experiencing without being confrontational; it needs to be an inclusive process that demands sincerity of purpose.

The year 2023 should act as a springboard for establishing the proper leadership that will directly address the high rates of illiteracy in the North and enroll a significant number of our children in public schools.

In that situation, we must redesign public schools, construct their physical facilities, fix their curricula, hire teachers, enroll students, and begin the educational process.

All of this can only be accomplished by someone with the political will to overhaul the educational system for both adults and children.

The plethora of educational shortcomings in the North as well as other regions of Nigeria appear to be easily remedied by Peter Obi's plan for educational growth.

A glimpse at Peter Obi's administration as governor of Anambra State from 2006 to 2014 demonstrates unequivocally that the LP presidential contender has a strong educational model that would be greatly advantageous not only to the North but to every other area as well.

In a commendable effort to promote reading culture among residents, Obi's administration built a massive central library in Anambra State. The majority of Anambra residents have attested to the project's impact. 

Education is critical in the development of any democratic society, Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, once said, “Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.” The People deserve a good education if they want a good democracy.

Education promotes tolerance in society and helps reduce common conflicts between diverse populations; if the North, which has the highest number of out-of-school children in the country, could have more access to basic education, most insecurity issues, such as insurgency and banditry, would be reduced to a bare minimum.

Because tolerance is the highest result of education, religious crises associated with intolerance would be a thing of the past.

Apart from procuring and distributing personal computers to post-primary schools in the State, along with professional ICT teachers, power generators, and Internet connectivity, which was novel at the time in Anambra State, Peter Obi was the first Governor to initiate the establishment of Microsoft Academies in designated secondary schools.

It is known that throughout his tenure as governor of Anambra State, Obi's policies included support for both public and private institutions.

Obi's appeal to the private sector in supporting his educational projects even after he left the government house in Anambra is one intriguing fact that has made it essential that the North support his educational development plan.

Peter Obi created the "School Apostolate" program, in which he raises funds from kind and generous sources and visits selected schools to assist them in meeting their needs.

In one of such missions to Kogi State Obi said: “Some years ago, I joined in the advocacy for the policy of adopting schools; where you take it upon yourself to provide necessary epistemic infrastructure to the school adopted — laboratories, computers & Internet connectivity, power-generators, sick bay, among others. For the WASC and NECO examinations, one could also undertake to pay the registration fees for a number of candidates”.

To that end, Peter Obi has donated hundreds of millions of Naira to schools across the federation, as well as facilitated learning materials such as laptop computers and other related educational materials, creating hope for a brighter future.

Peter Obi is the best bet for the 2023 presidential elections if the North wants to get it right this time and address its insecurity issues.

Osigwe Omo-Ikirodah is a political analyst and the Principal and Chairman of Bush Radio Academy.

https://ireporteronline.com.ng/blog/2023-why-the-north-would-have-no-problem-supporting-peter-obi-matters-arising-by-osigwe-omo-ikirodah/

Please, let's not be deceived by some misguided fellows claiming to be northerners and spreading hate against every other tribes in the south, those guys are a tiny minority of the North, paid by politicians to ferment trouble so they can win from the chaos that ensures.

The real northerner is a very kind hearted, humble individual who loves peace and progress like the rest of us. Some are even more peace loving and innovative than southerners.

The northerner will love to vote for Peter Obi because they suffer all of the things we suffer. Hunger and insecurity affects the whole country equally.

You spent the last 8 or even 16 years calling Northerners unprintable names and now they want us to vote for them? He go shock their papa. Danboroba shege!

GodsOwnMan:

You spent the last 8 or even 16 years calling Northerners unprintable names and now they want us to vote for them? He go shock their papa. Danboroba shege!

A genuine northerner would have no issue spelling the boldened word.
That gives you away, Tinubu lackey.

...and stop wasting your time trying to forcefully market an unmarketable product.
A good product sells itself.

GodsOwnMan:

You spent the last 8 or even 16 years calling Northerners unprintable names and now they want us to vote for them? He go shock their papa. Danboroba shege!

Stop campaigning for ancestors here.

The north too are tired of being a widow,widower n orphans.
We still HV VP as christian, n the killing is much, if both a Muslim ahhhhhhhh
90% of Muslim doesn't value life

Make una continue dey package una IPIG obi like saint. All his time In PDP has been forgotten like olodo wey read no pass exam. Ipigs better continue agitating for the actualization of Biafra. That dream of presidency will never ever come to pass. Obi will have less than 1% of votes in the North. He has failed already.

If you like open 1000 news for peter obi. Tinubu is the next president. Take it or hug transformer

These writers are either blind or deaf. They don't read the handwriting on the wall. North politics is different from South. South are educated and quite enlightened while north are predominantly illiterates. Few literates and enlightened ones are the one controlling them. That's why Obi needs more than Datti Yusuf to penetrate the North. Politicians like kwakwanso, Shettima, El-rufal and others are the one he needs if he needs northern votes.

Are you sure?

I don't see Peter obi winning anyways.

Like I want him to win not because he is a saint or better than other politicians cos they are all the same.

I want him to win just to prove to the political class that the people owns the power.

For your information, if obi wins, things wld not change, I even suspect that things wld get worse.

Nigeria can never ever change for better if we don't change this current system of governance.

GodsOwnMan:

You spent the last 8 or even 16 years calling Northerners unprintable names and now they want us to vote for them? He go shock their papa. Danboroba shege!

And you think say na Bishop of Agbado Diocese them go vote for? Baba wey no even remember the name of his Party, Clowns. Other nation dey move forward, Una still wan drag us back Futher.

This is a very bitter truth but it has to be said. Obi cannot win the 2023 presidency. He's not even in the conversation. For an ibo man to become president, the two major parties have to micro zone the position to the south east. 2022 was a ripe time to fight for that but even south Eastern governors supported the North in zoning the office to the north in PDP.... In summary, the SE has to get their political act together. That said, I'm not a prophet nor a pessimist. An Obi presidency would have been something I'd like to see. Not because I believe he's the messiah or he has the solution to the myriad of problems bedeviling the country nor do I even believe he'll do better than his predecessors but I'd have wanted an Obi presidency in LP to break the stranglehold on our polity by APC and PDP. Unfortunately, it won't happen. One reason it won't happen is, agree or not, tribe plays a huge part in our elections. The online noise might say otherwise. We educated folks might not give much thought to the tribe of a candidate but a farmer in A village in Osun state would rather vote for a fellow Yoruba man than an ibo man. Let's not even talk of the north. Same way an ibo man will vote for his fellow ibo. Secondly, forget talk of structure doesn't matter. Structure does matter and it matters a lot. How do you intend to win a national election when your party doesn't have candidates for most elective positions apart from the presidency? Who takes your campaign alongside theirs to the real grassroot? See, an Obi presidential campaign only benefits a Bola Tinubu presidential gig and harms Atiku's presidential bid. Why u may ask? The SE and SS have traditionally been PDP's strongest bloc. It's where majority of their votes historically come from. Now, these same area is where the Obimania is strongest. This will result in divided votes from PDP strongest bloc. Advantage who? As for Kwankwaso, that one is not serious and will most likely eventually work for Tinubu in the NW. The north east has always been an are where the APC since the days of ANPP has traditionally performed well and I don't see that changing in 2023. Atiku will win Adamawa, Bauchi and Gombe... But not convincingly. Borno and Yobe will go for the APC. In the north Central, Tribe will come in play in Kwara and parts of Kogi. I expect the APC to take the two states. Because of the Muslim Muslim ticket, APC will lose both Plateau and Benue and win Niger and Nassarawa with very low margins. In all, Obi won't win more than 2 or 3 states and they'd all be in the south.
You might disagree with this analysis of mine. Before you do, please check out this auto deal I've got. Imagine a 2011 Benz C300 going for 3.9 million Naira. Sweet right? Well, I've got several more auto deals that will blow your mind. Mobile number is 08089945511. Call or send a WhatsApp message and I'm available to attend to your auto needs. Location is Lagos

Hehehe.

Why I don't blame some northerners when it comes to how they vote is that their leader's selfishly denied them the right to education,so that they can use them to achieve their aim.

My problem is with the educated one's down south who are exposed but will still vote for the wrong guys.

We want development,but we vote for the wrong person's.

We continue to do the same thing and expect a different result,lol no be juju be that.

Aboki would rather vote for a cow to rule him than to vote for an ibo man

Know this and know your problem.

Remove north from Nigeria and see how the country will progress

Yeah..This is much better. We want to know why we should vote for Obi. Not all the attacks on Apc and Tinubu.. Wetin Obi get to offer?

Only to north can hold us back in this election as they have done our entire history. Dem no get sense for that side. I hope they surprise me and prove me wrong this time.

Yorubas carry tribalism for head more than northerners.
Northerners are good people to live with I've lived in the north and i know what I'm saying, majority of them are good people.
I don't have problem if yorubas don't support peter obi but i will be scared if northerners don't support him!
Every hate I've been seeing here is mainly coming from Yoruba Muslims and I'm not bothered about it because majority of them are Christians and alot of them will listen to their pastors because pastors and bishops wey get mouth for South dy support obi

Cos obidient is better dan sacrifice

Time for Ibos to beg Northerners for vote


Lol

The North would only vote for Atiku, unless they have something to gain from Obi. But they wouldn't vote for Tinubu because they're known for their betrayal, in other words they they trust the SW.

Good luck to him in the elections!

Daniel207:
If you like open 1000 news for peter obi. Tinubu is the next president. Take it or hug transformer

Don't allow your selfishness destroy the lives of millions. You know what's right. Pity millions that are suffering. Don't work for the devil

GodsOwnMan:

You spent the last 8 or even 16 years calling Northerners unprintable names and now they want us to vote for them? He go shock their papa. Danboroba shege!

those that worshipped them what was the outcome. Get a doctor close buy, your senior citizen wouldn't survive the Shock.

We are moving.

You are the devil �. If you like waste your time supporting loser. Tinubu is winning in 2023. 100%.

The true northerners I know are kind hearted and unbiased

I laugh in Chinese

The last play of APC online urchins is to make Peter Obi mandate tribalistic.
That's the last play before the impending failure, seems like the strategy has failed as the others.

Some things are just not presentable.
Tinubu has disaster written all over him and no matter how you present him, a disaster is always a disaster.

The dude doesn't even believe in Nigeria and yet wants to be a president!