Peter Obi Says He May Not Be Alive For 2027, And We Are Supposed To Shrug?

Peter Obi said on Arise TV on Thursday that he is not certain he will be alive by the 2027 election, and I want us to sit with that sentence for a moment before we move on to our usual politics.

His exact words were, "As I speak to you, I have also petitioned, I've been investigated everywhere. I still hear that I'm not even sure whether I'll still be alive at the end of this." He also said, "I'm praying to God for His protection because at this stage, I'm not sure what is happening." This is a former governor of Anambra State, a man who has contested the highest office in this country, speaking on national television about his own safety. In a normal democracy, that statement alone would dominate the news cycle for a week. Here, we will argue about it for two days and move on to the next thing.

I have lived long enough in this country to know that when a politician starts talking about his life being at risk, we should not be quick to dismiss it as dramatics. History is full of men who said exactly this kind of thing and were not around to tell the story. Obi also appealed to governors to allow free campaigning, noting that he permitted opposition parties to campaign in Anambra when he was governor. That is the standard he is holding others to, and it is a fair standard. So let me ask plainly: if a man of his stature is publicly uncertain about his own survival, what does that say about the rest of us who have no security detail and no microphone? Am I the only one who finds this deeply troubling?