From Abia to Zamfara, Edo and Oyo, Nigerian politicians have repeatedly discovered that gathering a crowd does not necessarily mean controlling its applause — or its political loyalties.
A campaign outing intended to sell President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election ambition turned into an unexpected political theatre on Saturday, November 7, when Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, found himself struggling to make his message heard over persistent chants of “Obi! Obi! Obi!” at a cultural festival in Abia State.
The occasion was the Item Okpi Cultural Festival in Bende Local Government Area, where Kalu mounted the podium to canvass support for Tinubu’s second-term ambition.
But there was one little problem: the audience appeared to have a different political soundtrack in mind.
“Tinubu will do more for Abia. Vote for Tinubu in 2027. He is the best for Nigeria,” Kalu declared, expecting perhaps an enthusiastic response from the gathering.
Instead, sections of the crowd responded with repeated chants of “Obi! Obi! Obi!” and “Kererenke, Obi!”, referring to Peter Obi, who is the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate.
The more Kalu attempted to make his case, the louder the chants became.
Not even the familiar APC campaign anthem, “On Your Mandate We Shall Stand”, appeared to provide the desired breakthrough. As the Deputy Speaker attempted to lead the song, the crowd continued chanting Obi’s name, creating an awkward exchange captured in videos that subsequently circulated on social media.
Kalu, visibly attempting to regain the audience’s attention, reminded residents of development initiatives he said the Tinubu administration had promised the South-East, particularly the Bende community.
“You don’t want this university they want to build for you? President Tinubu has remembered us. He has remembered the South-East. He has remembered Bende. The only way to say thank you is to vote him for a second time,” he told the gathering.
He also mentioned additional development projects, including classrooms, roads and health centres.
But the audience’s response remained a challenge.
At one point, Kalu appeared to question the identity of some of those chanting, remarking: “These people are not Item people.”
The episode was particularly noteworthy because Kalu represents Bende Federal Constituency and has been among the APC’s prominent political voices in the South-East.
He had attended the festival after participating in APC presidential campaign activities in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
While the video does not establish the political preference of everyone present, it has generated considerable online discussion about the difficulties facing politicians attempting to sell their candidates in areas where rival political loyalties remain visible.
And, as it turns out, Abia is not the first state to provide such an uncomfortable political soundtrack.
FROM ZAMFARA TO EDO: WHEN THE CROWD CHOOSES ANOTHER SONG
1. Zamfara: ‘Sai Atiku!’ interrupts pro-Tinubu solidarity walk
Barely two months before the Abia incident, another awkward political moment reportedly unfolded in Gusau, Zamfara State.
On September 2, 2026, sections of a crowd attending a solidarity walk organised to demonstrate support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election reportedly began chanting “Sai Atiku!” instead of responding with slogans backing the President.
The event was organised around the political activities of former Zamfara Governor Abdul’aziz Yari, following his appointment as Director-General of Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign Council.
The chants in support of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar provided an unexpected interruption to an event intended to demonstrate support for Tinubu.
It was another reminder that political organisers may arrange the stage, provide the banners and mobilise the crowd, but cannot always dictate what comes out of the audience.
2. Edo: Oshiomhole meets ‘Obi! Obi!’ at APC campaign rally
The APC also encountered an uncomfortable reception in Benin City, Edo State, during the 2023 presidential campaign.
On February 9, 2023, former APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole and members of the Tinubu-Shettima campaign team reportedly faced sustained chants of “Obi! Obi! Obi!” from supporters of Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi.
Oshiomhole had mounted the podium at Ring Road in Benin City to address the gathering when the chants began.
According to reports, attempts to calm the crowd proved unsuccessful, with the chanting continuing as the former Edo governor struggled to address the audience.
The situation eventually became so difficult that Oshiomhole and members of the campaign team reportedly left the venue with assistance from security operatives.
The incident became another widely circulated example of the challenges political parties faced when trying to win over audiences in areas where rival candidates enjoyed visible support.
3. Oyo: Atiku’s name rings out at Makinde’s re-election campaign
In January 2023, the political drama took a different form in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Governor Seyi Makinde was launching his second-term campaign at Mapo Hall, with fellow PDP governors and political associates, including members of the G5 group, in attendance.
However, the crowd repeatedly chanted “Atiku! Atiku!” in support of the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The development reportedly surprised and embarrassed the G5 governors, who had fallen out with the party’s national leadership over its presidential ticket and had been reluctant to support Atiku’s candidacy.
The irony was difficult to miss: a campaign organised to secure another term for a PDP governor suddenly became an occasion for the audience to demonstrate enthusiasm for the very presidential candidate the aggrieved governors were unwilling to endorse.
Atiku subsequently welcomed the chants, interpreting them as a demonstration of confidence in his presidential ambition.
4. Edo again: Obaseki encounters ‘Obi!’ chants at Uwelu market
Another incident occurred in March 2023 when then-Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki reportedly encountered chants of “Obi! Obi! Obi!” during a campaign-related visit to Uwelu Motor Spare Parts Market.
Obaseki, a PDP governor, was reportedly addressing traders and supporters in connection with the party’s House of Assembly candidates when sections of the gathering began chanting Peter Obi’s name.
The chants reportedly interrupted his address, with the crowd appearing more interested in expressing support for the Labour Party presidential candidate than listening to the governor’s campaign message.
The episode illustrated how the Obidient movement’s influence was being felt even at political gatherings organised by established parties.
WHEN CAMPAIGN EMBARRASSMENT TURNS MORE SERIOUS
Not every uncomfortable political gathering has ended with chants and viral videos.
In Lafia, Nasarawa State, an APC presidential campaign rally attended by Vice-President Kashim Shettima reportedly descended into violence on November 4, 2026.
According to Premium Times, some youths dressed in APC regalia began chanting slogans supporting Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate Adamu Abubakar, a former Inspector-General of Police.
The development reportedly triggered a confrontation involving security operatives and supporters of the APC governorship candidate, Aliyu Wadada.
The newspaper reported that at least 40 people were injured, with several others missing following the incident.
The Nasarawa episode was considerably more serious than the political chanting witnessed in Abia, but it demonstrated how competing political interests can disrupt carefully organised campaign gatherings.
THE POLITICS BEHIND THE NOISE
Beyond the entertainment value of the viral videos, these incidents raise questions about political mobilisation, grassroots support and the relationship between party organisers and the audiences they seek to persuade.
The Abia incident is particularly interesting because it occurred in Bende, the constituency represented by the Deputy Speaker himself.
Peter Obi’s strong showing in Abia during the 2023 presidential election also provides important electoral context. However, chants at a cultural festival can not be automatically interpreted as a formal declaration of the entire community’s political preference.
Similarly, the Zamfara incident demonstrates that unexpected political chants are not exclusive to the South-East or to supporters of Peter Obi.
From “Sai Atiku” in Zamfara to “Obi! Obi!” in Edo and Abia, Nigeria’s political campaign trail has occasionally produced moments that no amount of campaign choreography could completely control.
For politicians, the lesson is straightforward: a large crowd is not necessarily a loyal crowd, and a microphone does not guarantee that the audience will sing along.
As the 2027 election approaches, political parties will have to contend not only with their opponents’ campaign machinery but also with the unpredictable reactions of the very people they hope to persuade.
And for Benjamin Kalu, Saturday’s appearance at Item Okpi may be remembered less for the campaign promises made on the podium than for the name that kept coming back from the audience.
Obi! Obi! Obi!