Peter Obi: Di Labour Party candidate wey dey totori young Nigerians

One very rich man wey dem sabi well well for being careful, Peter Obi, become powerful force as Nigeria dey ready to vote for di election next February, dey totori voters wit message of carefulness and accountability wey one army of social media users dey loud.

For kontri wey be like e ey always look for messiah to solve im plenty problems, young supporters wey sabi social media-savvy don elevate Obi to saint and dem dey back Labour Party wey nobody bin sabi before against two old-time political heavyweights.

Di way im take attract supporters be like ma base on populism (political style wey dey try to attract ordinary pipo wey feel say authorities no send dem). But im no accept dis tag, even though some of di tins wey im dey tok be like na wetin im dey encourage.

"Na time to take your kontri back," im dey mostly tok.

"[Dis election] na di old against di new," im tell BBC.

Im dey usually trend for social media for different kains of conversations wey im supporters dey have, wey you go recognise instanta from dia display picture of im foto or di white, red and green logo of im party.

Mostly dem be pipo under 30 years wey dey live for township wey dey call demsef di "Coconut-head generation", becos dem dey strong-willed, independent-minded and disapprove of older politicians wey dem say do only small tin for dem.

Many of dem, like Dayo Ekundayo follow for di EndSars protests wey for goment to disband one notorious police department two years ago and also change begin call for beta goment.

Now, dem dey use di same strategy wey mobilise hundreds of thousands of young Nigerians and raise millions of naira inside weeks for di 60-year-old wey dem consider as alternative to the two parties wey don dominate politics since di end of military rule for 1999.

"Which Nigerian politician don ever hold office and im integrity intact? I no see any oda logical option for young people for Nigeria," Ekundayo tok.

Im don already follow for one march for Obi, and e dey provide logistics plus mobilise students for di campaign as im do during EndSars protests.

But opponents say Obi na political impostor, one of many wey dey show for election time wit misunderstandings say im na third force wey go collect power from traditional parties.

Many supporters of di main opposition People Democratic Party (PDP) and neutral observers agree say im dey head and shoulders above di oda candidates, but say im lack nationwide popularity to win di election and don draw ear give im supporters say dem dey take risk wasting dia votes.

Dem believe say im na distraction from di common goal of removing di ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from office, and fit divide di opposition vote.

Im na devote Catholic from eastern Nigeria, and dem say na im no popular for di Muslim-dominated north, wia dem consider say get votes wey dey critical for winning presidential elections.

And im critics question wed aim truly represent break from di corruption wey im dey always lambast, pointing out say im name follow for di leaked Pandora Papers wey expose di hidden wealth of di rich and powerful for 2021.

While dem no accuse am of stealing money, im fail to declare offshore accounts and assets wey family members get, blame am on ignorance.

E also chop accuse of investing state funds, as govnor, into one company wey im get interest in. Im deny say e no do anything wrong, come add say di value of di investment don grow since.

Obi repeatedly say im no dey desperate to be president. Dis na irony for man wey don change party four times since 2002.

Im dump PDP few days to di presidential primary for May and di party go on to choose 75-year-old former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as im presidential flagbearer.

Critics say im bin pull out becos im bin know say im chance of winning na small, but im blame am on power struggle inside PDP, wia im bin be vice-presidential candidate for 2019, for deciding to port to Labour Party.

Im supporters also dey convinced say dem push am out of PDP becos im refuse to bribe delegates for party primary and dem don coin di phrase: "We no dey give shishi (money)" as buzzword for im popular carefulness wit money and managing goment money for kontri wey get history of wasteful spending by public officers.

Dem regard am say im no be normal politician wey ready to take over APC and PDP goliaths wey dem see as different sides of di same coin, wey dem accuse of dipping dia fingers into public purse.

E also get religious and ethnic twist to im candidacy.

For kontri wia roughly half of di population na Christian, im supporters hope say dis go help im chances of winning, as afta eight years of President Muhammadu Buhari dem no want anoda Muslim - APC Bola Tinubu, 70, or PDP Atiku Abubakar - to enta office.

Some also support Obi sake of im ethnic background. Igbos make up di kontri number three largest ethnic group, but Nigeria don only eva get only one Igbo president, mainly ceremonial, since e free imsef from British colonial rule for 1960.

Many Igbos accuse successive Nigerian goment of marginalising dem and hope say Obi go rise to power so dat south-east, wia most of dem live, go see more development and so counter di clamour of groups wey dey demand for dia own kontri like Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob).

Critics say im na supporter of Ipob, group wey dey designate as terror organisation by Nigeria, but im tell BBC say im na firm believer in Nigeria and say im position on di different "tensions across di kontri" na to dialogue and reach agreement.

E say Nigeria number one priority na di issue of insecurity becos e don become very important one "dem must to deal wit head-one decisively".

"If you deal wit am [security] today, you deal wit inflation becos farmers would go go back to farms and dat go reduce food inflation," im tok.

One philosophy graduate, im bin work for im family small business before im makae im own money, importing everything from salad cream to beauty products, and baked beans to champagne, im also get brewery and get shares for three commercial banks.

You fit easily recognise Nigeria billionaire from far but Obi no dey spend money and im dey wear am as mark of pride.

Im dey quick to point out say im get just two pairs of black shoes from British chain Marks and Spencer, prefer one $200 suit from Stein Mart to $4,000 Tom Ford suit, and dey always insists on carrying im own luggage, rather than pay someone else to do am for am.

Even im children no safe from dis im frugality. E deny im 30-year-old son car, im tok, while im oda pikin na happy primary school teacher - dis rare for kontri wia politician name dey usually open doors to more lucrative jobs.

Di OBIdients

Despite di financial controversy, im tenure as govnor of Anambra state don become reference point for im presidential campaign.

Im supporters point out say im invest heavily in education and pay salaries on time - di simple tins wey most Nigerian state governors dey neglect.

E also leave plenty savings for di state purse for di end of im two four-year tenures, dis too dey rare.

But Frances Ogbonnaya, university student for Anambra state wen Obi bin be govnor, dey surprise by di praise wey dem dey sing on im name, describing im tenure as unremarkable.

"Who dey save money in di face of hunger? Who sdey save money in di face of lack of facilities?" she ask rhetorically.

But n aim reputation for frugality and sound management n aim attract di crowd of supporters, wey dem sabi as OBIdients.

Some don shop accuse of cyberbullying and labelling anyone wey no vote am for next year election na enemy of di state.

Im respond wit tweet wey call on im supporters to "imbibe di spirit of sportsmanship", but e no do anytin to calm dem down.

Dem dey quick to show anyone wey tell dem say dem no dey win election on Twitter, di crowd for offices of Nigeria electoral body wia dem flood to register as first-time voters.

But dis no be di same as actually coming out to vote on election day.

Wit months to di election, e hard to deny di momentum wey dey building behind Obi but doubters also point out say im lack nationwide party structure to support di view say, while possible, Obi presidency remain highly unlikely.

"Di structure wey don keep us wia we dey, di structure wey don produce di highest number of pipo in poverty for any kontri, di structure wey produce di highest number of out of school children, dat na di structure wey we wan to remove," e say.

E respond say im structure na di "100 million Nigerians wey dey live in poverty [and] di 35 million Nigerians wey no sabi wia dia next food go from come".

If up to half of dis pipo come out to vote am on election day, e fit be say true-true dat na all im need.