Peter Obi’s recent visit to the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, was a political gamble that fell flat. The Olubadan, out of duty, granted him audience, but his blank expression told the real story—there was no enthusiasm, no warmth, no endorsement.
The reality is clear: Yorubaland belongs to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The 2023 election proved this when the Southwest voted solidly for him, just as the Southeast overwhelmingly backed Obi. Nothing has changed. In Ibadan today, billboards celebrate Tinubu, not Obi. The Olubadan has even invited the President to his inauguration, a direct sign of where his loyalty rests.
By arriving with a factional Afenifere leader and a failed Lagos Ibo governorship candidate- Chinedu now jumping to the ADC, Obi’s delegation looked weak and out of place. The misguided, factional Afenifere Leader was assigned to announce Peter Obi as the 2027 President but there was no support to the message by those present. Symbolism matters in politics, and this visit only highlighted his lack of footing in Yorubaland.
Politicians should go where they are welcome. In this case, Obi’s stop in Ibadan was a miscalculation. The Yoruba people have spoken: their loyalty is to their son, President Tinubu.
Headlinenews.news Special report
