Loud Whispers With Joseph Edgar

Does Peter Obi Now Have the Edge?

I have just seen an opinion poll purportedly carried out by Bloomberg. The report said if there is an election today, Peter Obi would most likely emerge as the next president. It further went on to show that he was not only leading but with a very wide margin.

The irony of it all is that I saw the report as I was stepping out of the Pulse TV studios where they had invited me to come and talk about the emerging political trend for their Independence Day showing.

My people, I spent the better part of that recording explaining why I think Peter and his Obi-dients were wasting their time. Mbok, I talk o. I postulated, I shook, I prophesied to the point, I even entered the spirit. So, you can imagine my state of mind as I came out of the studio and upon opening my phone, the first thing I saw was the report.

I immediately came out of my shock and started digging afresh. Apparently, I was running on expired fuel. The geo-political landscape seems to have shifted seriously and Obi was actually gathering strength. This whole Obidient movement seems to be defying all structured political calculations. All over the country, the campaign is gathering strength, Nigerians are trooping out to register their displeasure with the old order and are standing firm with Obi and Datti.

The movement seems to be floating above traditional limiting lines. Tribe, geographical positioning, religion, sex and the rest doesn’t seem to be slowing it down.

Well, I still remain a skeptic, I still will abstain from voting but I am watching very closely. I sure hope that eventually, my grandchildren will not call me a useless grandpa who didn’t stand up to be counted when Nigeria finally took a stand.

God help me.    

PDP Crisis – Watching Tinubu Closely

Look, Atiku is having his weakest campaign ever. He is looking very amateurish and despondent to the point of pity. The Pitbull that is hurricane Wike is exposing his old backside to very cold breeze and his push towards the presidency is looking like a eunuch-shriveled member staring at a prized virgin in humility.

Wike and his assistants – Makinde, Ortom and the rest have refused to be part of anything to do with his campaign. He has now even gone to get the weakest of them all — Udom — to play a role in the campaign. The Afang eating, used–to–be brilliant governor is there making barely audible statements and appealing for calm. Almost like standing in front of a massive category five storm with an umbrella and shouting – peace be still.

My people, in all these, I am watching Tinubu. You people know that Tinubu is a master strategist. There are strong rumours that in Lagos, he is throwing up Jandor and Funke to further weaken PDP in his stronghold so I cannot put it past him if he doesn’t have a hand in this shameful contraption called Atiku campaign.

See, during the APC primaries, his colleagues were busy chasing poverty-stricken delegates, when the maestro was working on candidates. You saw the way candidates were capitulating on the rostrum. These presidential candidates will stand up and say, “I am stepping down and supporting Tinubu.”

It was not juju; it was a master strategist at work.

So, as I am looking at this PDP meltdown, you will understand if I am also looking at Tinubu. The way Atiku and Ayu are morbidly remaining stubborn and the viciousness of Wike and his people, I can only say, ‘it is not ordinary eye’

This Tinubu is not a small strategist o. I can swear that, ‘na him dey scatter PDP’. I ready to place one-year Afang money on this position. Make God keep us alive.

Yemi Osinbajo Out in the Cold

Keyamo can always be thinking that it is fufu instead of brains in our head. They drew up a long meaningless list of people into a campaign team and omitted the only one ‘wey’ get sense in the whole matter.

Then Keyamo now climbed the Golan Heights to announce that it was ‘oga’ that said they should allow him ‘run the government’. Which government o? I can’t see any government anywhere.

This same Osinbajo that they will not hand over power to when they are going for medical checkup. This same Osinbajo that cannot even sign any better contract. The last time Osinbajo had any real thing doing in this government was ’jumping out of the helicopter’ during the last campaigns.

You know, the truth is that APC does not even owe us any explanation. They can run their boat any way they deem fit and spare us the lame excuses. By the way, one wonders what exactly is the role of the campaign council. The people inside there are plenty o. Kai! Are they expected to be agents or what? I really don’t get it.

As for Osinbajo, I think he should just ignore them. He is doing well under the circumstances. Abi didn’t you see the way he carried and comported himself during the Queen’s burial? Regal. Also, didn’t you see his last outing in America?

You know in Nigeria, we no dey see better things. We will always go for the defective ones and when the consequences of those decisions hit us, we will now be wailing and crying.

We all open our eyes and see Osinbajo on the ballot, leave am and come go choose ……….  We will only have ourselves to blame. Who do us this kind thing? Na wa.

Something About the Dozie Brothers

One of them is a photographer. It is not that one I want to talk about. I once saw him at my friends’ house – Tobe and Chioma. It is his brothers I want to talk about today. Uzoma, Chigozie and Ngozi. These boys are cleaning out, creating a new ecosystem and giving traditional banks a run for their money.

They are the ones heading the Fintech charge on the economy. They have delivered a seamless structure that is pulling in very much of the millennial market with its depth and reach.

When Dozie as Managing Director of the then Diamond bank was doing adverts and wearing black, like James Bond, I used to look at him one kind. He didn’t look or sound like a traditional bank MD. He was debonair, sleek and impatient. I didn’t see him as one that would have the patience for all that long and boring red tape that is Nigerian traditional banks.

So, when he ‘lost’ that bank, I wasn’t surprised. People laughed at him o. How can you ‘throway’ your papa legacy just like that. I can imagine that night in his father’s bedroom. He would have been on his knees with the old man, Pascal, holding ‘koboko’ and saying, “Uzoma, did I do wrong impregnating your mother?”

Today, Uzoma seems to be having the last laugh. His Sparkle platform is taking out the banks in payments. It is growing in leaps and it is turning heads. He is no longer bothered about the huge overheads, the shrinking markets and the pressure to compete in a space that has gone cold. Today, he is playing in a fresh new space with no borders and driven by technology. I heard he just raised $3m to expand his coast.

His brother Ngozi is also doing sweet things with Carbon. These Dozie boys are doing not only the old man proud but also the whole nation proud. They are the ones that first pioneered loans in five minutes.

These boys are simply geniuses and they must be studied. I remain very proud of not only them, but the whole ecosystem of fintechs. See the huge resources they are careening, getting international respect and slowly but surely changing the financial landscape unlike those yeye ones at Customs street, Lagos near Tinubu Square and opposite CBN who are there declaring loss and still wearing suits and speaking big English all over the place.

Guys, whenever you are up for it, let’s do Afang mbok. So I can hear a lot more about this your revolution. Well-done guys. Na one mama born them o.

Let’s Get Serious, Kola Abiola

I have sat down severally with Egbon on this his presidential matter and if it is by ideas and vision and clarity, Kola Abiola should be our next President. But it seems like the momentum has been lost. We hardly hear anything from his team and even he himself. He has not seized the imagination of the people or even dared to struggle with Obi in that demographic that he clearly understands.

Kola comes to the table with two major weapons – his pedigree and his clarity of the issues of the day. He is MKO Abiola’s son and was involved in all that June 12 matter. This gives him an inroad, a huge network and the understanding of the inner workings of power in this country and lastly international connections.

Secondly, he is young and engaging. Understands the new economy, the role of technology and the politics of youth engagement come 2023. But he doesn’t seem to be firing on all cylinders. He seems to have dropped in the polls to a distant fifth after Kwankwaso who hitherto was behind him in estimation.

He recently announced his running mate and when I ran to check him out, even me I get weight pass that running mate. So the question now on everybody’s lips is – is Kola Abiola serious? Only him can answer this question and there is really not enough time to get an answer. Thank you.

The Chicken Heart John Lyon

I used to wonder why these people would be begging when they are caught. They all always do that. You say you are a hardened criminal; you start kidnapping or robbing people. In the process, people lose their lives and property. You traumatise the whole country and send fear down the spine of the nation and when you are caught, you start crying and begging.

This John Lyon is even the worst of them all. I felt like slapping him from anger. Can’t you own your ‘shit’? Why crying and begging to be forgiven. I really don’t understand o. He even was saying that his wife just gave birth and that they should please forgive him. This is pure cowardice and illiteracy. Well, they had said he was a cleaner in a bank so what do you expect?

Please, my brother Lyon, stop begging and be a man. You have confessed on camera that you kidnapped ‘only two people’, oya na, stop begging and face the music. Simple. This begging no be am at all. Thank you.

Buba Marwa, You are Doing Well

Did you watch the video of the largest ever cocaine seizure in the country? One thing I sha noticed in that video was the federal character principle. All the ethnic tribes were represented in that criminal cartel. You see that even criminals understand the need for us to be united. Politicians should learn from this. The leaders made sure that there was no quota system or discrimination as every tribe was represented in their human capital.

Well, we all watched the seizure with pride and it is no wonder that the federal government has just approved over N500 million for the procurement of armoured vehicles for the agency. I clap for them o. They are the shining star of our seriously challenged security architecture. The new lease of life that Marwa has brought to bear in the agency is really yielding fruit and I must say well done Marwa.

A Timely Rebranding for Anchor Insurance

The invite was signed by one of the most brilliant insurance people today in this country – Austin Ebose. I like this brother for two things. His dress sense and his brilliance on the job.

His emergence at Anchor has ramped the place up several notches. Anchor now has a seat on the table of serious players in the insurance industry. Recording billions in premium and supporting the economy with cover, Anchor has come of age.

So, it is no wonder that the need to rebrand to keep moving came up. It was a beautiful event like I heard. I missed o. Come and see the food that was served. I asked someone to send me pictures of the food and the mumu started sending me pictures of Patoranking and Gordons on stage.

However, a new TV promo was released. It is beautiful. When I watched it, a spittle dropped from my mouth. It was classy and had Patoranking and my brother Austin in appearance. The promo is running on CNN and other local and international media showing the direction Austin wants to take the company to. Well-done, my brother.

A Befitting Farewell for Uche Orji

My brother Uche is the head honcho at the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA). For 10 years, he has superintended Nigeria’s credible attempt at securing our future. It was my great Uncle, the cerebral Gabriel Ukpe who once said, “Edgar, come and have breakfast with me and Uche at the Ibom Icon in Uyo.”

 I was in Lagos and asked for a private jet. That did not happen. But my other brother Ken Etete now made the relationship happen through his WhatsApp group linked to his gym.

I have never met Uche but have followed his work closely at the NSIA and from what observers are saying, he has performed. I wish him so well as he prepares for the next assignment and hereby offer him a role here at Duke of Shomolu Productions. He would however have to sign an indemnity that he will respect and take instructions from me. If not, make he leave am, I cannot shout.

Well-done bro.