Politics
By Anthony Isibor.
CHIMAMANDA Adichie, the award winning author and writer has said that she cannot wait to call Peter Obi, her president.
As part of the encomiums that poured in on Tuesday, July 20, 2022, to celebrate him on the occasion of his 61st birthday, she described Obi as a man of character, consistency, compassion and conviction in the values he believe in.
In a letter written by Chimamanda to Obi, which was sighted by Realnews, she described him as “My dearest Big Bro”.
Chimamanda said that Mummy called you her ‘first son,’ my siblings and I call you our ‘big bro,’ and I cannot wait to call you ‘My President.’
“I cannot wait for February 25, 2023, when I, with personal pride in you and with hope for what Nigeria can become, will cast my vote for you and your running mate, Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed.
“I have always admired your humane pragmatism, how you are willing to talk to almost anyone if it will bring about a good outcome, and how you believe in certain ideals without being an ideologue.
“And how you see people as people, knowing that human value is not measured in material terms.
“And how you are able to laugh at yourself, and laugh when I tease you about your ‘one shoe and one shirt.’ And how you have always been consistent in the core of who you are.
“Thank you for your compassion and your circumspection. For your honesty and your humour. For your willingness to acknowledge flaws, yours and others’, knowing that nobody is perfect. For your fuss-free kindness and your humility that is never performative.
“I am inspired by your intellectual curiosity, your eagerness to learn, your genuine love of education (which is why you sought out, and honoured, Daddy all those years ago when you learned that he was Nigeria’s first professor of statistics.
“Sometimes it is the simplest of language that captures the most complex of things, and so I will end with simplicity: You are a good man. You are loved. You are appreciated.
“I will never forget your kindness to my beloved parents. Thank you for the respect you showed them, for your many visits to Abba, where you gave to Daddy and Mummy the most precious gifts: your time and your attention.
Thank you for walking this still-unbearable journey of grief with my siblings and me,” it read.
She also talked about Obi’s love for Nigeria, his generosity and compassion, expressed in his numerous donations and support for various just cause.
“I remember how you regaled Daddy and Mummy with your stories until we started joking about your obsession with the “GDP of Malaysia.” But your obsession spoke of hope: your hope for Nigeria, your belief in what Nigeria could be. A belief that has always been practical, grounded in numbers and in reality.
“I remember when you came to support me as I was being honoured by the United Nations Foundation in New York, and I teased you about the inexpensive hotel you were staying in, and you shrugged and said, “it’s just a place to sleep, why do I need to be in an expensive place?”
“And then only days later, you once again exhibited your incredible generosity to the causes you believe in, and it reminded me of all the hospitals and schools and churches you have supported over the years, and often without fanfare. You have always been clear about what your priorities are, what matters to you, what you believe should matter and that is deeply admirable,” she said.
Obi is the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
A.I
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