PETER OBI HAS ALREADY CHANGED THE NIGERIAN POLITICAL LANDSCAPE. IT WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN

I am grateful for Peter Obi’s candidacy, regardless of the outcome, because it may be giving Coconut Head/Soro Soke Generation the practical political apprenticeship they need to overthrow Establishment parties.

Young folks decided they love the idea of an Obi presidency. Because he was seeking an Establishment Party ticket, they got interested in internal Establishment Party politics. They learned how delegates work etc.

They decided they don’t like what they hate. They got educated that you don’t have to discard your principles because you seek political office. You can decide not to share money to delegates and still have ordinary people willing to contribute their resources to promote the campaign they believe in.

Obi defected to Labour Party, a glorified mushroom party in its state at the time. Young people followed him. They’re now learning how to build a party from scratch. Setting up party offices. Registering members. Holding meetings. They’re getting educated.

Between now and February, they’ll learn, firsthand, the ropes of building grassroots support. Door to Door. Meetings. Calls. Rallies of all sizes. Follow-ups. Spying. Catching spies. They will get educated. In Feb, the young people in Labour will learn how running an election works. Vetting/training agents. Being an agent. Monitoring materials. GOTV. Vote defence at PU and collation centre. They’ll witness firsthand how some other parties steal and buy votes. They’ll get educated.

If Obi loses, and goes to Tribunal, these young people’s investment in him will make them pay close attention to how the Election Complaints process works.

They’ll get an education. Then they’ll graduate.

And that’s when the magic starts.

These young people are going to learn more and do more riding for Obi in the next 8 months than the Establishment parties would ever have given them a chance to.

EndSARS showed us how brilliant, strategic, & funded they are. Imagine what they’ll do to politics with this education.

Written by Andy Obuoforibo.