Kelechi Eke, Lagos

Since Monday night when the former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, gave a definitive hint that he would contest the 2023 Presidential Election on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), he has emerged one of the top trends on the micro blogging App, Twitter.

Reports today say “at least 54,000 chatters referenced his name.”

 Obi had announced that he would be contesting the presidency if the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) zones its ticket to the South. “Yes, I will step into the field to contest for the opportunity to serve this great country as President if my party, the @OfficialPDPNig, zones the ticket to the south. But if it is thrown open, Nigerians will also hear from me,” he said.

NewsOrient reports that even before the Monday announcement, keen observers have called on the former Vice Presidential candidate on the ticket of PDP to join the race for the presidential seat in 2023.

Making reference to the way he successfully managed the finances of Anambra State when he was that state governor and his contribution since then to the national discuss on the country’s economy, his admirers said he is the kind of president Nigeria needs at a time like this.

As a result, his declaration of interest in the presidential race has continued to elicit wide interest and support.  

For example, the co-founder of BudgIT, Seun Onigbinde, in a tweet, announced a GoFundMe for Peter Obi’s presidential bid.

Also, a news website, Peoples Gazette, reported that Onigbinde’s GoFundMe initiative was coming a day after London-based publication, Financial Times, pegged the cost of electing a president in Nigeria at $2 billion, about N1 trillion.

 It added that “the crowdfunding would level the financial playing ground for Obi, who is likely to contend with moneybags such as Bola Tinubu and Orji Uzor Kalu.”

BudgIT’s Onigbinde also tweeted that: “A N10bn GoFundMe for Peter Obi will be great starter for those who want crowdsource Nigeria’s next leader. This will change the dynamics with the space hijacked by moneybags.”