Award-winning novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie says Peter Obi’s lack of desperation for power is what sets him apart from most Nigerian politicians.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Adichie said Obi’s presidential ambition comes not from ego, but from genuine care for the country.
“He doesn’t need to be president; he wants to be because he cares about Nigeria,” she said.
“That is a very important distinction. There are people who are desperate to become president, not because they have any good intentions for the country, but because of their egos.”
Adichie, who supported the Labour Party candidate in the 2023 election, said her endorsement is “rooted in my love for this country” and in her belief that Nigeria can be better with the right leadership.
She described Obi as one of the most accountable public figures she has known.
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“Peter Obi is not a person who expects you to thank him for doing his job as a leader, because to him, it’s his job,” she said.
“There’s a sense, I think, in Peter Obi that he’s accountable to the people. He doesn’t think that somehow, he will lord it over people.”
According to her, the former Anambra governor has remained consistent in his values for over 15 years. She described him as “genuine, consistent, and curious” — qualities she considers essential in any leader.
“The person I knew 15 years ago is still the same in terms of his values,” she said. “Peter Obi is one of the simplest men I have ever known.”
When asked how she would feel if Obi was not on the ballot in 2027, Adichie declined to comment.
She had expressed strong support for Obi in the run-up to the 2023 elections, appearing in a campaign video and describing him as “my big bro” in a birthday tribute.
After the election, which was won by President Bola Tinubu, Adichie wrote an open letter to then US President Joe Biden, challenging the credibility of the polls and highlighting irregularities she said were ignored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
She also attended tribunal proceedings in Abuja to show solidarity with Obi.
