Stop Rewriting History: The Futility Of Obi’s Proxy Politics

Peter Obi never imagined that his successors would outperform him. He never prayed for it, and he certainly never worked towards it. His politics has always been about preserving his own halo rather than building a legacy that could be surpassed. This explains why every time he slanders former Governor Willie Obiano—his immediate successor—he inadvertently indicts himself. After all, if Obiano was such a poor choice, what does that say about Obi’s ability to choose wisely? Leadership is foresight, and in this, Peter Obi falters.

But the pattern doesn’t stop there. Through his mouthpiece, Valentine Obienyem, Obi has mastered the art of bitterness disguised as commentary. Anytime Anambra records a breakthrough, Obienyem rushes to pen an alternative history, one where Obi is the silent architect of every good news. Take, for example, yesterday’s triumphant trip to Nzam, Anambra West LGA. Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo commissioned the first-ever tarred road to the Local Government headquarters. The joy was palpable, the gratitude overwhelming. And yet, within hours, Obienyem tried to spin the narrative: suddenly, Peter Obi built the road.

Facts, however, are stubborn. The Mmiata–Nzam road was partially attempted by former Governor Obiano, who constructed a bridge but left the 13km stretch unfinished. Soludo, in a rare display of magnanimity, publicly acknowledged Obiano’s contribution before commissioning the road—completed by the Solution Government. It was history in the making: Nzam, for the first time, had a proper road. But rather than celebrate, Obi’s camp chose to sulk.

This has become a routine. For every new success, they scramble to rewrite history. Their latest ploy was to recycle the unverified claim that Anambra ranked “number one in education” under Obi’s watch. No credible source was ever provided. Instead, they floated a dubious “pay-as-you-go” assessor who now claims the state ranks 33rd. This charade is less about education and more about distraction—an attempt to undermine Soludo’s tangible progress across education, infrastructure, health, agriculture, and security.

But Ndi Anambra are not fooled. They see the new classrooms rising in rural schools, the improved teacher recruitment, the newly tarred roads connecting forgotten communities, the investments in healthcare, and the bold efforts in digital economy and green energy. These are not slogans; they are deliverables. And they stand in sharp contrast to eight years of Obi’s administration that left far less to point to.

It is exhausting to watch Obienyem superimpose Peter Obi onto every headline, every project, every ribbon-cutting. His reflex is to credit Obi for every triumph and excuse him for every failure. This is not analysis; it is sycophancy. Worse still, it insults the intelligence of Ndi Anambra, who are not blind to who is actually doing the work today.

Governor Soludo has made it clear: leadership is about results, not rhetoric. He is building a liveable and prosperous homeland. The Nzam road is not just asphalt; it is a symbol of inclusion for communities long forgotten. The new education reforms are not just policies; they are investments in the next generation. And these cannot be erased by opinion pieces or proxy bitterness.

It is time Obi’s camp realized that history is not written in press releases or Facebook posts. It is written in the lives of the people. For Ndi Anambra, the verdict is already clear: the Solution Government is delivering where others hesitated.

Valentine Obienyem and his principal should stop shadow-boxing with every success story. It only exposes their insecurity and diminishes their relevance. Leadership is not about being at the center of every narrative; it is about leaving a legacy that speaks for itself. For now, Anambra has moved forward, and no amount of revisionism will change that.

— Mazi Ejimofor Opara PhD.