Sam Amadi, director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, says the All Progressives Congress (APC) is struggling to contain Peter Obi’s growing political influence because he operates outside the traditional structure of Nigerian politics.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Rudolf Okonkwo on 90MinutesAfrica, Amadi described Obi’s political style as “minimalist”, saying it frustrates efforts by the ruling party to suppress or weaken his movement.
According to Amadi, Obi’s unconventional approach gives him flexibility and resilience in a system dominated by structure-based politics, but it also limits his ability to build enduring political institutions.
“Look at how he runs his campaign. It is difficult for the APC government to stop him because he is everywhere. He has no structure for them to smash. But he also has his own downside,” Amadi said.
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He noted that Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party (LP), relies more on organic popular mobilisation and less on party machinery.
Amadi said this method makes him an elusive political figure but one with institutional weaknesses.
“Peter Obi is not the type of politician who can carry the burden of organising institutions and structures, which require enormous time and resources,” he added.
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Amadi said Obi’s preference for lean organisation reflects his minimalist strategy — maximising visibility and public connection while minimising bureaucratic overheads. This, he explained, makes it difficult for entrenched political actors to contain or co-opt his movement.
Beyond electoral politics, Amadi also spoke on religious tensions in northern Nigeria, warning that Christians in the region are increasingly treated as second-class citizens.
He described the violence against them as “state-tolerated and sanctioned mass violence”.
He traced the roots of the crisis to the year 2000 when twelve northern states adopted the Sharia law, effectively creating “two republics” within Nigeria — a secular federal republic and an Islamic one.
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“In the year 2000, the twelve northern states became Islamic republics by virtue of enacting criminal Sharia into their laws. So Nigeria became two republics in one – the Federal Republic, which is secular, and the Islamic Republic,” Amadi said.
“That is why they can kill someone for blasphemy without any consequences. The Nigerian Constitution guarantees the right of every Nigerian to change their religion, but under Sharia, one cannot change religion.
“So, the Nigerian state is toying with inconsistency and contradictions. I see the northern Christians becoming more of second-class citizens. So yes, the Nigerian state is guilty and complicit in the sustained violence against northern Christians.”
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