•Peter Obi
Following the 2023 presidential candidate for Labour Party, Peter Obi’s critique of President Bola Tinubu’s condolence visit to Benue, the president’s former campaign spokesperson in the Southeast, Dr Josef Onoh has taken swipe at the Labour Party national leader.
Obi had faulted Tinubu’s Benue visit, accusing him of wearing celebratory attire to the state instead of wearing a mourning clothe and slamming him for “choosing optics over empathy in his condolence visit”, reports Nigerian Tribune.
But in a swift reaction, Onoh alleged that Peter Obi “was suffering from body dysmorphic disorder, which caused him an obsession involving excessive preoccupation with appearance”.
Onoh said that “the disorder has made Obi develop a heightened interest in aesthetics, resulting in a mental sensory processing sensitivity, which has made colours evoke emotional responses from his obsession over the colours of the president’s attire”.
According to him, “Tinubu is a Muslim while he (Obi) is a Christian, upon which foundation Obi’s submission is flawed”.
“There is no universal African attire strictly designated for condolence or mourning that applies to both Muslims and Christians across the continent, as practices vary widely by region, culture, and religion.”
He, however, noted that certain colours and styles are commonly associated with mourning in specific African communities, influenced by Islamic or Christian traditions and local customs.
“May I bring to your Excellency’s attention that Islamic guidelines do not mandate a specific dress code for mourning, except for widows, who observe Iddah (a mourning period of four months and ten days) and are required to wear simple, modest clothing, avoiding adornments like perfume or jewelry.
“There is no religious text in the Qur’an or Sunnah specifying black attire for mourning; however, modest and sober clothing is encouraged. Clearly, from this perspective, you are also wrong.
“As a Catholic Christian, it’s obvious your comment was drawn from your religious point of view having been raised in an urban Christian community, which encourages formal Western attire (black suits or dresses in dark colors), to be worn alongside traditional garments. While Christians prefer Bright colors in ‘celebrations of life’ services to honor a deceased’s legacy.
“Also, religious guidelines stipulates (modesty for Muslims, somber colors for Christians) blend with cultural practices, so attire depends on the specific community and the president’s visit wasn’t restricted to any religious community in particular hence your statement is purely drawn from an obsessive religious foundation already institutionalised in your personality, upbringing and social interactions which has no place in leadership.
“Finally, before the visit of Mr. President to Benue State, I made it clear that the president was coming to commensurate with the people of Benue State, and at no point was I aware of any such fanfare directives from the Benue State government.
“I had said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has always maintained that humanity’s sanctity lies in its inherent dignity and capacity for compassion, deserving respect, and protection. Hence, any fanfare attached to his visit was strongly condemned.
“So Your Excellency, the presidency isn’t here to deliberate on your choice of colours. We are in the business of running a country and not paint production hence I urge you to visit and lodge your complaint with Dulux colour centre located at Aroma Junction, Awka, Anambra state. If you doubt the address, go and verify,” Onoh said.
