The Edo State Government has downplayed any potential political influence of Peter Obi, the former Anambra State governor and presidential candidate of the Labour Party, declaring that he poses "zero threat" to their political structure and interests.
In a strongly worded statement issued earlier this week, the state described Obi’s influence as overhyped and lacking in real substance. Officials from the state government went as far as calling him “the least of our worries,” adding that his political appeal is mostly based on emotion and not on a well-defined agenda for national development.
This comment comes in the wake of a controversy sparked by Governor Monday Okpebholo, who recently cautioned Peter Obi against visiting Edo State without first securing proper security clearance. The governor’s remarks led to widespread debate and mixed reactions from the public, particularly among supporters of the Labour Party.
Further expanding on the state’s position, the Edo State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Paul Ohonbamu, appeared on Channels Television’s Morning Brief program where he reiterated the administration’s stance.
“Peter Obi is the least of our worries. APC can’t be threatened because of Peter Obi,” Ohonbamu declared during the interview. “Ask him what he will even do when he becomes president, and he’ll simply say, ‘Let me get there first.’ There is no clear-cut blueprint of what he wants to do.”
Ohonbamu went on to question Obi’s relevance, citing his limited political reach even within his supposed stronghold in the South East region of Nigeria. According to him, the Labour Party controls only one state in the region — Abia — while other southeastern states remain under the control of other parties.
“Enugu is governed by the PDP, Anambra by APGA, and the APC controls Imo and Ebonyi. So where is his dominance?” the commissioner asked rhetorically. “Peter Obi is just struggling in error. I can assure you, his defeat is a fixed deposit.”
The remarks have since fueled further political discussion, with some Nigerians criticizing the tone of the statements, while others supported the Edo State Government's blunt dismissal of Peter Obi’s political relevance ahead of the next election cycle.