Opinion

By Sunny Igboanugo

DID you know that at the time Peter Obi was Chairman of Fidelity Bank, Oshiomhole was a tailor at Kaduna Textiles! 

Today Oshiomhole lives in a mansion in his village with a swimming pool atop the penthouse. Obi on the other hand lives in a modest affair in Onitsha. 

Now, did you hear Oshiomhole has a patent for a drug used for the treatment of cancer or any other rare disease? 

Did you hear that he developed a prototype of a millennial car that was bought off by Elon Musk? 

Did you hear that he ever cut a deal with Warren Buffett or Bill Gates that made him a dollar billionaire?

Did you hear that as a tailor he now designs for Gucci or Saint Laurent or that he now kits Shakira or Madonna? 

So, how did he become so rich to own such a palatial mansion that has become a reference point in picturesque opulence? 

Don’t bother with searching for an answer! Google wouldn’t help you. AI search will return negative because it is unfathomable.

Here’s what you are looking for. Adams Oshiomhole is a Nigerian politician! He was once governor of Edo State for eight years!

That’s enough to come to unimaginable wealth – wealth beyond the human mind could picture. 

Now, don’t get it twisted! The likes of Oshiomhole are the ones that become successful politicians in sane climes because of his immense brain power and rare gift of the garb. 

His gift of eloquence could be likened to the likes of Julius Caesar’s Mark Antonio, America’s Patrick Henry, author of Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death or Barak Obama among other global greats.

So, nobody should be surprised that he broke away from the tailoring shed in Kaduna, and made it through the public podiums, where he mesmerised his audience with great speeches like Martin Luther King, before landing at Dennis Osadebey House in Benin City. 

That’s the way many world leaders get to the global stage. But, then, here’s the difference. Such leaders wouldn’t be living in Oshiomhole’s kind of mansion with his background.

In fact, were Oshiomhole Governor of New York or Mayor of London, he would still be paying mortgage on a three-bedroom apartment till date despite his status as ex-governor and ex-NLC President!

Instructively, he would not even entertain any sense of loss or feel less important to maintain such a public stature. 

It’s normal for people to be governors and even Presidents and still own just one car or even jump buses without thinking anything about it and without the society mocking them.

Now, the only way Oshiomhole could ever find the money to own such a mansion in such climes is to sell his experience.

He must have written a bestseller, apparently showcasing the fine details of his days in office or be giving speeches to critical audiences, or selling his reputation to big firms by serving on their boards. 

Those are some of the ways people out of public office make money. But even such exploits are not only visible to the public but the outcomes are both traceable and measurable even for the taxman!

But here, the picture is totally different. So, out of office, Oshiomhole builds himself a house, which, is the cynosure of all eyes!

But then, all his earnings in life as a salaried worker, including governor and now Senator, could not fund the foundation stage. Interestingly, Edo people are silent.

He flies chartered aircraft, nobody asks questions. He is captured in a video massaging the feet of a woman that is not his wife and it becomes a subject of jokes and hearty laughter at the National Assembly, where he joins other Senators in making laws!

So, why would he not be at liberty to mock Obi for lacking in long term “vision” – making him unfit to rule Nigeria?  

Now, compatriots, this is the selfsame Obi who, as a student in his early 20s had become a millionaire – the same who drove three tear-rubber cars – a Volkswagen Beetle, first year, Peugeot 505, second year and BMW, third year – the same that built two bank branches and became a big landlord – all as student.

Yes! The same Peter Obi who has spent time learning within the four walls of global education institutions learning the arts in diverse human endeavours – the same that grew his business chain that afforded him the status of being among the first 1,000 exclusive holders of American Express Black Card! 

Pray! Where was Oshiomhole at this time? Probably battling with needles and threads inside a sewing machine at one of the tailoring sheds in Kaduna. 

Why wouldn’t he mock and stick out his tongue? After all, who else but a fuuul like Peter Obi would leave $150million in a bank instead of using it to build mansions, purchase exotic cars and import foreign dollar-rate Oloshos?

Yes! Obi lacks long-term vision. Oshiomhole has it in abundance! The evidence is everywhere! Visit his country home and witness VISION a la Nigeria! Pathetic!

_ The Tiny Voice!

A.I

July 29, 2026

Tags: Fidelity Bank Oshiomhole Peter Obi Sunny Igboanugo

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