Pat Utomi questions why Peter Obi faces hostility despite 2023 third-place finish
Political economist Pat Utomi questioned on X Saturday why Peter Obi, who finished third in the 2023 presidential election, attracts "this level of hostility from all directions." Utomi wrote: "The intensity of the attacks raises questions that Nigerians deserve answers to. Perhaps one day, we will finally understand what really happened in 2023." He did not name specific attackers.
The comment follows a week of coordinated criticism from top APC figures. At rallies in Ekiti and Akwa-Ibom, Senator Adams Oshiomhole launched heavy attacks on Obi. Vice President Kashim Shettima said Friday in Akwa-Ibom that Obi "messed up his presidential ambition with lies." President Tinubu added that Obi "ran away from erosion in Anambra State when he (Tinubu) confronted the Atlantic Ocean in Lagos."
Obi's Labour Party secured 6.1 million votes (25%) in 2023, finishing behind Tinubu (8.8M) and Atiku Abubakar (6.9M). Yet he remains the primary target of government and APC rhetoric ahead of 2027.
The disproportionate focus suggests Obi's demographic appeal—particularly among young, urban, and Southeast voters—poses a structural threat to the two-party dominance that has defined Nigerian politics since 1999.
As 2027 positioning intensifies, will the establishment's fixation on Obi strengthen his opposition brand or expose Labour Party's structural weaknesses?