By Praise Chinecherem
Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Dr. Sam Amadi has decried what he termed the growing pattern of unwarranted attacks on Peter Obi by senior government officials.
Amadi in a pointed commentary shared on his official X account, cited recent criticisms from the Presidency, the Governor of Lagos State, and Senate President Godswill Akpabio as examples of this misplaced focus.
“It has become a troubling trend for members of the current administration to frequently target Obi, despite his consistent focus on Nigeria’s dire socio-economic realities rather than on personalities,” he said.
Obi, the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, had recently remarked that the “labour of our heroes past has gone in vain”—a sobering reflection on the country’s current state of affairs. This observation was met with sharp rebuke from Senator Akpabio, who accused Obi of being disrespectful and of dishonouring the legacy of Nigeria’s founding fathers.
Before this, the Governor of Lagos State had also lashed out at Obi, reacting to comments he made during a recent foreign engagement, where he critiqued the country’s economic trajectory. The Presidency, too, had earlier dismissed Obi’s ideas and proposals on governance and economic reform.
Amadi, however, offered a counter-narrative. He argued that while the political elite expend significant energy attacking Obi, the man himself remains resolutely focused on Nigeria’s structural challenges and the urgent need for reform.
He lamented what he called the disproportionate attention paid to Obi by high-ranking government figures, asserting that Obi has steered clear of personal attacks and has instead consistently advanced a vision for national renewal rooted in prudence, accountability, and economic revitalisation.
“If elections were a purely rational exercise, Peter Obi is so far the only candidate who ought to be elected,” Amadi noted
Amadi’s intervention has sparked wide engagement online, with many Nigerians echoing his sentiments and urging government officials to redirect their attention to the pressing issues confronting the country, rather than vilifying opposition voices.
His remarks underscore a growing perception that constructive critique and nation-centred discourse are increasingly being met with defensiveness, rather than dialogue.
