Peter Obi: Political parties will be ‘Bigger Than Government’ in New Nigeria

The Labour Party Presidential Candidate in the 2023 General Elections, Mr. Peter Obi, has urged Nigerians to commit themselves to the development of political parties that are law-abiding, institutionalized, and bigger than government.

Obi made this call while speaking at the public presentation of two books written by veteran journalist Ike Abonyi: The Bubbles of Nigeria’s Democracy: The Musings of a Nigerian Journalist and Wadata Wonders: Memoirs of a Partisan Journalist.

In his remarks, Obi lamented the state of Nigeria’s political institutions, arguing that parties have been weakened by those in government rather than strengthened.

“We are working hard to build that new Nigeria where we are going to have political parties that will outlive us—organized, law-abiding, and stronger than the government itself,” Obi stated.
“Unfortunately, those of us in government have contributed to ruining our political parties. But we must remain committed to building a new Nigeria.”

Obi encouraged journalists, especially those with deep knowledge of the nation’s political evolution, to continue writing and educating the public on the realities of the political landscape.

Also speaking at the event, former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, called for a reformed and stable democratic system where politicians build and stay loyal to their parties over decades.

“We now have a broken democracy,” Secondus said. “People jump between multiple parties as though it’s the norm. But it’s not. Until we create a system where people commit to building their parties for 30, 40, or 50 years, the nation will keep wandering in the political wilderness.”

Secondus emphasized the importance of collective national action to fix Nigeria’s problems and commended the author, Ike Abonyi, for documenting valuable political experiences for posterity.

Renowned journalist and former Managing Director of The Guardian newspaper, Mr. Martins Oloja, who reviewed the books, applauded Abonyi’s courage in promoting alternative viewpoints. He stressed that dissent and diversity of opinion are crucial in any democracy.

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“By promoting alternative visioning and embracing dissent, we can create a more inclusive, equitable, and just society. That is what Abonyi has shown,” Oloja said.

In his appreciation, Ike Abonyi reflected on his unplanned transition from journalism to politics.

“I was enjoying journalism when my brother, Nwodo, was appointed PDP national chairman. He insisted I join him despite my criticism of the PDP,” Abonyi said.

He revealed that Nwodo aimed to reform the party through digital membership registration, which was ultimately sabotaged by political power struggles.

“That digital registration initiative could have made the PDP financially independent. But when the governors realized they would lose control, the project was sabotaged. That eventually led to Nwodo’s exit within six months.”

Abonyi concluded by noting that the real “Wadata Wonders” named after the PDP headquarters could not be written in the book due to their controversial nature.