FORL4R

Loyalty Is Not Blindness: Serah Ibrahim, Peter Obi and the Cost of Political Hypocrisy @TheSerahIbrahim is an intelligent woman with a professional life and identity beyond politics. She has her own experience, opinions and convictions. That is why I find it disappointing when some people seem more interested in questioning her loyalty than engaging with the issues she raises. Supporting Peter Obi should not mean surrendering your ability to think independently. Nobody should have to agree with every position taken by a political movement just to prove they belong. The ethnic colouration One thing that is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore is the ethnic colouration within parts of the Obidient movement. Let me be clear: there is absolutely nothing wrong with Igbos supporting Peter Obi. They have every right to support someone they believe in, just like every other Nigerian. The problem begins when political support starts looking like an ethnic obligation, and criticism of Obi is interpreted as an attack on the Igbo people. A movement seeking national leadership must be bigger than one ethnic group. Nigeria's problems are too serious for us to keep reducing political conversations to tribal loyalty. If everybody must agree with you before they can belong, then you are not building a movement; you are building an echo chamber. And Nigeria get enough of those already. The double standard What bothers me even more is the selective outrage. Some people who are quick to condemn anyone who questions Obi appear willing to overlook the past or controversies of individuals simply because those individuals are now on their side. Take the appointment of retired Major General John Enenche, the former military spokesperson who attracted criticism for his comments about footage from the #EndSARS protests. He has now been appointed Director of Security and Intelligence on the NDC campaign committee. That appointment raises a fair question: are the standards of accountability we demand from political opponents also applied to people within our own political camp? Or does political alignment suddenly make uncomfortable questions disappear? You cannot demand accountability from those in power while exempting your own people from the same standards. Apparently, some people's political baggage can travel free of charge once they join the right camp. My view of Peter Obi I understand that Serah may still hold Peter Obi in high regard and may consider him the best available option among the leading political contenders. That is her opinion, and she is entitled to it. My own position is different. I do not believe Obi is the best person to lead Nigeria. My concern is his leadership judgment, particularly the choices he makes about the people around him, the quality of counsel he receives, and his ability to recognise and retain competent people. Leadership is not just about good intentions or presenting yourself as an alternative to the established political class. It is also about judgment, the people you trust, the advice you accept and the team you build. These are areas where I have serious reservations about Obi. And no, holding that opinion does not mean I support Tinubu or any other political alternative. It simply means I am not prepared to suspend my judgment because a politician has a passionate following. Serah owes nobody blind loyalty Perhaps what we should be asking is why people who once contributed to a political project now feel increasingly uncomfortable speaking freely about it. A movement should welcome honest conversations, not treat every disagreement as betrayal. Serah does not owe anybody blind loyalty. Neither should she have to pretend everything is well just to prove that she once believed in Obi's political project. 1/2