The man of the moment, and presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has said 2023 presidential election is going to be one of a kind, considering where the country is coming from, and a people yearning for a better future.
While Obi has all of a sudden, grew in popularity even becoming a household name resonating from all parts of the country, including a massive social media movement known as the #OBIdients, there remains however, a section of the public who are skeptical about the chances of the support Obi currently enjoys, being translated into votes when it matters most.
The popular argument is that the Labour Party has no formidable political structure such as grassroot supporters unlike the two popular parties in the country, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking in a recent interview on Arise TV on Friday, Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, said the Labour Party is not a threat to his presidential ambition due to its lack of structure.
He said, “I really don’t expect the Labour Party to take as much votes from the PDP as people are suggesting. We could have seen it in the last election in Osun State. What was the performance of the Labour Party?
"This is a party that doesn’t have a governor, doesn’t have members of the national assembly, doesn’t have members of the state Houses of Assembly. And politics in this country depends on structures you have at those various levels; at the local level, at the state level and at the national level.
"It is very difficult for a miracle to happen, simply because Peter Obi is in the Labour Party.”
However, despite claims of the Labour Party's lack of structure, Obi remains resolute, saying those downplaying his chances have failed to realize that they have lost the support of the very same people they claim to be their structure.
He said these millions of people know those who ruined their lives, and see the next election as an opportunity to get rid of them. These people according to him, are his structure heading into next year's presidential election.
“I have said it before when people talk about structure, that my structure [is] the 100 million Nigerians living in poverty," Obi said after a meeting with Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State.
“Those people who are finding it difficult to live. Nigerians are here today spending over 100% of their money on feeding, that is my structure. And above all, the most important structure is the Almighty God,” he added.