MR. PETER OBI IS NOT A MAGICIAN. Written by KEMKA S. IBEJI

It's clear enough to uphold the cliché that ideas rule the world. 

It was in the famous opening line of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, where he states:

"Every art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good; and for this reason the good has rightly been declared to be that at which all things aim."

The Nigerian colloquial will say "who no like better thing?" 

Knowledge is not only attractive, it's infectious. Peter Obi exemplifies pure quality existence built with originality, prudence, moderation, courage, focus, discernment, pragmatic and communicating. His life is a communication. 

Mr. Peter Obi has lived his life as a trader and the work of a trader is exchange. Every trader is in the business of exchanging something for something every day of his or her life and that's what they do. And for you to be successful in the business of trading you must have one important and ineluctable skill - communication. You must be able to communicate. 

But there's something everyone takes for granted whenever we talk about communication. At the mention of communication everyone believes it's all about having the skills of making good and correct sentences that obey the grammatical rules. NO! 

At the heart and fulcrum of communication is knowledge. If you don't know anything you can't communicate anything reasonable even if you have all the communication skills under the sun. So the most important thing in communication is the content and that content is the knowledge. 

This knowledge is what has made Mr. Peter Obi so attractive to the masses of Nigerian voters. This was brought to the fore and made even clearer in 2019 during the electoral contest between Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and former President Muhammadu Buhari when the duo of Mr. Peter Obi and former Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo were Vice Presidential candidates. Both were cerebral and among the best in the world. During that election there was a debate session between the Vice Presidential candidates - Peter Obi and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. 

Prelude to the debate everyone thought that Peter Obi was the underdog to face a Professor of Law - Yemi Osinbajo who was a smooth talker and a class public mesmerizer. Osinbajo has the control of the English language, he was knowledgeable in politics, well informed with the affairs of the country with respect to being the current Vice President and a teacher par excellence. But little did we know that Peter Obi was actually a Professor of Practicality who is rich in the real world architectonics. Peter Obi was full of knowledge from hands-on, everyday, thorough experiences filtered into ultra-academic and scientific relish. 

During the presidential debate, Mr. Peter Obi turned into a teacher of professors and sincerely took Prof. Osinbajo into classical apprenticeship and impeccable tutelage of advanced form. That's what knowledge can do. Mr. Peter Obi is highly knowledgeable having had vast knowledge in various areas of practical life ranging from private businesses, corporate management, to public sector services. He is a rounded person who has not only passed through prisms of social, economic and political realities, he has done so with leisure. of course, having studied Philosophy in his foundation days he has the requisite skills of argumentation and now has embellished that noble skill with trading experiences. 

But there's more to it. Mr. Peter Obi has a wider knowledge of Nigeria and he has deep wisdom in applying the knowledge. He has sold himself to the charm of the masses. He did not just manufacture the knowledge, he has the experience, he internalised it, he has practically gone round and has learned so much from his expanded exposure. What therefore is his unique stance that makes him the darling of Nigerian people?

Mr. Peter Obi knows the problems of Nigerians, he understands the terrain, he appreciates the situation of the country, he has high level emotional intelligence and can relate with the people. He identifies with the people because he is not detached from them. And now he communicates his knowledge of himself, the people and the entire country to everyone and his messages resonate. The people know he's real and pragmatic. They know he is not making up figures. They can verify his postulations and have even done so.

You cannot stop believing who understands you, shares your moments, shows empathy, makes you feel important and has told things that you went out yourself to confirm as truth. Doubt and distrust come when someone has lied to you once or even twice. In the case of Mr. Peter Obi, the people have checked him out and found him unique among the rest. He was wealthy before he got into power from recorded and accountable sources. His riches have history and are traceable. He got wealthy very early in life yet remained cool headed. He went forward to acquire more knowledge instead of partying and whiling away his time on insanities. He has created wealth and that couldn't get into his head. He has handled public resources and didn't dip his hands into it unlawfully or to enrich himself. He has shown a very advanced level of conscientious and intentional leadership that is worthy of export.

Who else has communicated to Nigerians on what is their problem? Who else has shown his degree of contentment and comportment? Which other current Nigerian political leader has shown his degree of commitment, character, competence and compassion about the way forward for Nigeria? No one else than Mr. Peter Obi.

Mr. Peter Obi is therefore not just a magician but a man filled with enviable knowledge that enjoys leisure and can be referred to as a Philosopher - he's more than a magician!