Opinion: Why Global Egberi TV Must Respect the Intelligence of Nigerians

By Steven Opuware

In recent times, I came across a publication on Global Egberi TV that attempted to analyze the challenges surrounding political structures and presidential ambition in Nigeria. While the write-up may have been intended as a contribution to public discourse, I must say that it came across as deliberately misleading, selective in reasoning, and unfair to the discerning Nigerian audience.

Permit me, therefore, to set the record straight.

First, let it be clear: winning an election in Nigeria does not depend solely on having a political structure in place for decades. History has proven this wrong. For example, His Excellency Gregory Peter Obi was mocked, derided, and ridiculed as a man with “only a few youths tweeting from their rooms” in the build-up to the 2023 presidential election. Yet, within just a few months of mobilization, he shocked the entire political class with an unprecedented performance.

Despite allegations of manipulation and electoral irregularities, Obi emerged as a strong third force, defeating entrenched political heavyweights in key areas. Notably, he won Lagos State — the supposed impregnable stronghold of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu — and Abuja, the nation’s capital, known for its politically sophisticated, enlightened, and well-informed residents.

Let us not forget that the Labour Party, almost unknown nationally before 2023, went on to win one governorship seat, several senatorial and House of Representatives seats, and nearly clinched more — all because of Obi’s charisma, vision, and the passion he ignited in millions of Nigerians. If not for the “agbero-style” politics that marred the Enugu gubernatorial election, the Labour Party would have secured another state.

The facts speak for themselves: Obi became the main issue in Nigerian politics. His emergence reshaped conversations, altered political calculations, and demonstrated that entrenched structures are not the sole determinants of electoral success.

Therefore, when Global Egberi TV insists that building a political base over decades is a prerequisite for electoral victory, it disregards the lived experiences of millions of Nigerians who witnessed the 2023 elections. Nigerians are no longer passive spectators; they analyze issues critically, reason inductively and deductively, and make independent decisions.

Let me also remind Egberi TV that Nigeria is a nation of over 200 million people. Among them are judges, professors, lawyers, medical doctors, engineers, journalists, industrialists, technocrats, and seasoned intellectuals. Many of these individuals were already distinguished professionals before some of today’s writers were even born. Such a sophisticated audience deserves accuracy, respect, and balanced analysis — not half-truths designed to entertain the gullible or manipulate the unsuspecting.

As such, my humble advice to Global Egberi TV is this: the next time you embark on a political commentary, be mindful of the intelligence and exposure of your readers. Nigerians are too enlightened to swallow sensationalism hook, line, and sinker. If your aim is serious journalism, then your work must stand up to scrutiny. If not, it risks being dismissed as mere entertainment for the uncritical few.

This is my candid position.

✍️ Steven Opuware