Mabel Oboh: The growth of an unassuming political icon

By Kenneth Agbonkhese

She could easily stay anywhere in the UK, or any other country for that matter, and become an armchair critic of her nation. Or relocate home and, over a cup of early morning coffee, proffer solutions to every single challenge facing Nigeria. But not Mabel Oboh.

She is not the siddon-look type. Mabel Oboh, one of the Nollywood creators, has always seized any opportunity to serve, with a solution-based mindset. Broadcaster, movie/soap producer, businesswoman, philanthropist and, now, politics. On meeting her for the first time, you see humility. During interactions, you meet a steely resolve to execute any humanitarian service or mission.

Mabel Oboh, a seasoned broadcaster, is on record as the second female independent movie producer in Nigeria. She also worked as an NTA governor’s office correspondent and a new caster in NTA Channel 7. She was the first lady to create a chat show in the early 2000 (“Chat with Mabel”) on NTA Network. She is a contemporary of the likes of Sam Loco, Enebeli Elebuwa, Sadiq Daba etc.

She produced the likes of Nigeria superstar Icon, Clarion chukwura in an NTA telemovie (“The BoBos”) in the early 80s. Undeniable, the great producer Zeb Ejiro went under her tutorage in movie production before he started producing movies.

Mabel Oboh also ventured into producing commercial, and documentaries. She produced the first Mr Biggs eatry commercial.

As a woman hungry for knowledge, she went back to university and got a degree in Criminology in the United Kingdom.

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With a strong passion for humanitarian work, she runs an NGO, (Mabeloboh Centre for Save Our Stars) solely focused on the healthcare of entertainers. The NGO introduced an affordable health insurance. She has expressed sadness and disappointment that a good number of artistes preferred to play with their health and then seek financial assistance when it’s all most too late.

“If only they will take out a health insurance to enable regular check ups. This will put an end to the untimely deaths prevailing in this country,” she once said.

Moreover, she glided seamlessly into the murky waters of the dog-eat-dog of Nigerian politics. It’s testament to her woman of steel substance that she successfully contested in Edo State’s governorship election of 2020. Whether the people are ready for a solution and issue-based campaign of a welfare-minded politician is story for another day.

However, ask her about coming fourth in the contest, she would say “My votes were organic and that’s a sign of good things in Edo, nay, Nigerian politics. Those that voted for me believe in not only my ideology, but in me as a woman and that says a lot, mostly in a country like Nigeria.”

Yet, after decamping to the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, her abilities and professionalism are showing. But for the cancelled Lagos State congress, Mabel Oboh would most certainly be the PRO by now. This enigma of an entertainer, humanitarian and politician is yet to totally unravel. But will we surely have our own Angela Merkel?