TD A video from 2014 has resurfaced showing a gathering of prominent Anambra elders who appealed to then-outgoing Governor Peter Obi to continue serving the state after completing his tenure.
The gathering featured prominent Anambra figures including Prof. ABC Nwosu, who served as spokesperson for the group, former Anambra Governor Dr. Chukwuemeka Pius Ezeife, popularly known as Okwadike Igbo-Ukwu, and Senator Ben Ndi Obi, among others.
The gathering took place against the backdrop of Obi’s impending departure from the Anambra Government House after serving as governor for a combined period between 17 March 2006 to 17 March 2014.
In remarks captured in the video, Prof. ABC Nwosu described Obi as a governor whom the elders had effectively “conscripted” into public service and said he had lived up to their expectations.
He said:
“We conscripted him to come and govern Anambra and he has not let us down.”
Nwosu added:
“We have had faith that he will deliver.”
‘Peter Obi towered above every governor’
In his assessment of the administration of Peter Obi, Nwosu went further, declaring that the former governor had surpassed other governors in the areas he was discussing.
He specifically highlighted developments in health and infrastructure, as well as what he described as Obi’s understanding of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
According to Nwosu:
“He’s the one who understands properly Millennium Development Goals.”
He argued that health constituted a major component of the MDGs and claimed Obi’s performance in that area was ahead of other governors and states.
Nwosu stated:
“The bulk of Millennium Development Goals are in health. And he’s ahead of every other person and every other state in this regard.”
His assessment was summed up in the phrase:
“He towered above every Governor in Nigeria.”
The statement was an expression of Nwosu’s assessment at the time, rather than an independently measured national ranking of governors.
‘We may yet conscript him again’
The elders’ appeal was not limited to praising the record of Peter Obi.
Nwosu suggested that the group could again seek Obi’s services after his tenure as governor.
“We should indicate that we’re conscripting him. And we may yet conscript him when the hand’s over for some other duties.”
The remarks suggest that those at the gathering viewed Obi as someone they believed should remain involved in public service even after leaving the Anambra Government House.
A striking historical snapshot
The footage has acquired renewed significance amid the continuing political debate over Obi’s eight-year administration in Anambra State.
Supporters of the former governor have frequently cited the state’s transformation during his tenure as evidence of his administrative record.
Critics, meanwhile, have challenged aspects of his government’s finances, debt position and management of inherited obligations.
The 2014 footage provides a contemporaneous account from prominent Anambra figures who were publicly expressing confidence in Peter Obi at the end of his tenure.
It also offers an interesting contrast with some of the criticism directed at Obi today.
At the time, the elders were not asking Obi to explain his record or defend his administration.
Instead, they were publicly praising his performance and discussing the possibility of persuading him to take on another public role.
Among those present was Dr. Chukwuemeka Pius Ezeife, the first civilian governor of Anambra State during the Third Republic.
Senator Ben Ndi Obi was also among the prominent figures associated with the gathering.
Watch the short video clip below:
Peter Obi: From ‘conscripted’ governor to national political figure
Peter Obi eventually moved from Anambra State politics onto the national stage.
He became the vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019 alongside Atiku Abubakar.
He would later become the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election.
Prof. ABC Nwosu and Senator Ben Ndi Obi have also remained prominent figures in national and South-East political discussions.
Contemporary reports have identified both men among prominent figures involved in political consultations concerning Obi and broader Igbo political participation.
The resurfaced footage therefore offers a glimpse into how some influential Anambra figures assessed Obi at the very point when he was leaving office in 2014.
Their message was unmistakable:
“They said they had brought him into governance, believed he had delivered on their expectations and were prepared to seek his services again.”
Whether that assessment remains shared today is a matter of political debate.
But the historical record captured in the video provides a contemporaneous account of the enthusiasm expressed by those elders at the end of Obi’s Anambra tenure.
