The presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has urged the electorate to shun ethnic and religious sentiments when voting the next president of Nigeria come 2023.
Rather, he urged them to elect a president that has the capacity and capability to govern the country well.
Obi said this Monday at the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) Forum held in Lagos.
He said the coming presidential election should not be about ‘it is my turn, but the turn of Nigerians to decide who to govern them and govern them well.’
“Next year’s election will not be about tribes. Please do not vote for Peter Obi because he is from the South-East. It is not going to be my turn but the turn of Nigeria to take back their country. It is not tribe because the people in the south do not buy bread cheaper or show me where in the Southwest where they have uninterrupted electricity or roads that are meant for South-West people only.
“It is not about religion because I don’t see where Christians buy bread cheaper than Muslims. It is the confusion of the elite to continue to impoverish the people.
“I’m a Nigerian and I’m contesting this election as a Nigerian. We are about 18 people contesting this election but, some will be better in terms of Queens English, some will have better certificates but remember that certificate is not a measure of character and integrity.
“We are looking for people who will not steal our money. So, you need to examine all of us and know who to trust based on character, integrity and competence,” Obi said.
He said Nigeria needed to move from a consumption nation to a production country, noting that the foundation of Nigeria’s failure is that it is not a productive country.
“You don’t need any other study in Nigeria because it is obvious that we can feed ourselves. The Bank of Agriculture in Kaduna, I don’t need documents to resuscitate it because every bank in Nigeria is a shareholder and I will tell them who to lend money to.
“I have studied what happened to micro and small businesses and I will drive the process. I know what to do with the youths and I know how to change them because they have so much energy and talent. All these boys today they call Yahoo-Yahoo, it happened with India and all we need is to change their direction.
“The same talent they used in defrauding people, they will use to contribute to Nigeria’s economy but they need somebody they can trust,” he said.
‘My plan’
On what he would do if elected, Obi said the first thing to be done as a country would be to establish a foundation to feed ourselves as a nation.
He said what was required to improve the fortune of the country is good leadership, saying he is ready to provide that good leadership.
“All it is required is good leadership, a leadership that can drive the process and I can do that”, he said.
Obi stated further that a leader that Nigeria required is a competent hand that can move the country forward, “but here we have people who nobody knows their reference point, they have never worked anywhere, and they have never championed anything because a man who has never created wealth can never manage wealth.
“That is why in the developed world where there are structures, they vote people based on their track records, age and strength because the job requires physical and mental energy.
“Next year’s election will be based on character, competence, capacity and ability or commitment to start doing the right thing, and I assure you that I’m committed to it. It is going to be difficult but it requires huge mental and physical energy. Let nobody say we are going to manage someone who will surround himself with people with sycophants.”
NGE president
Speaking earlier while delivering his welcome address, President of the Nigeria Guild of Editors Forum, Mustapha Isah, urged the presidential candidates to ensure that their campaigns were issue- based and less mudslinging.
He said the Guild of Editors Forum is a platform for the candidates to tell Nigerians what they have in stock for them.
G-5 Govs’ meeting disrupted in Lagos
In a related development, some aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member led by a group of five governors of the party (G-5), were reportedly embarrassed in Lagos.
Sources say their gathering was interrupted by the pro-Atiku party members who sang songs in support of the party’s presidential candidate and former vice president, Atiku Abubakar.
The G-5, now called Integrity Group, restated their readiness for reconciliation with PDP and Atiku, with whom they are displeased with following the primaries that produced the former VP, and the consequent choice of running mate.
In a video that has since gone viral, the state PDP members exposed alleged plan by the group to undermine the presidential aspiration of the party’s candidate, insisting Atiku remained their choice in 2023.
Narrating what transpired at the meeting in a video clip, a party member who was at the meeting, Kunle Folorunsho, said the meeting, called at the instance of a PDP leader, Chief Olabode George, commenced with Geroge revealing a plot to undermine his party.
At the meeting were the Integrity Group members namely; Rivers state Governor Nyesom Wike; Seyi Makinde(Oyo); Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu); Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state.
Also in attendance were Senator Olaka Nwogu; Senator MAO Ohuanbuwa; Hon. N. Ikeje; Senator Nasir Suleiman; Senator Sandy Onor; Malam B. Adoke; former Ondo state Governor Olusegun Mimiko; former Ekiti state Governor Ayo Fayose; former Cross River state Governor Donald Duke; PDP Deputy National Chairman (South) Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja; National Vice Chairman (South-south), Chief Dan Orbih; and former PDP governorship aspirant in Osun state, Omoba Dotun Babayemi.
Revealing what transpired at the meeting, Folorunsho said George, the former deputy national chairman of the party, reportedly told the meeting they would only vote for Senate and House of Representatives candidates of the party and would have nothing to do with the presidential and governorship elections.
At this juncture, Folorunsho said he kicked against George’s position, saying Atiku remained their choice for the nation’s top job 2023.
Considering this as an affront on the hitherto G-5, Folorunsho alleged George’s supporters, donning special Tee-shirts, pounced on him, tearing his clothes, before being rescued by others who were on the side of Atiku.
While the governors made effort to exit the venue of the meeting, Folorunsho further said, the shout of “Atiku…Atiku…Atiku”, rend the air.
Speaking on behalf of the group, former Plateau state Governor Jonah Jang, said: “We are still standing with the decision in our last meeting in Port Harcourt, where we declared that we are still open to reconciliation.”
Arewa youth back southern presidency
Meanwhile, the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) has expressed its support for a presidential candidate from the southern region, while rejecting northern candidates “for the sake of justice” and fair play.
Responding to a northern elder statesman, Alhaji Sani Zangon Daura who recently stated that the northern region should support ‘their own’ for the presidency, AYCF said after Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years as president, it is just and fair for a Southerner to take over in 2023.
AYCF urged the PDP presidential candidate, and his New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) counterpart, Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to bid their time.
Speaking in a press statement in Kaduna on Monday, AYCF National President Alhaji Yerima Shettima said “the support of a southerner for president by the region was clearly in the spirit of justice because Nigeria does not belong to the North alone, or Muslims and Christians of the North.
“Even on moral grounds, the most responsible political action by the North was the decision on power shift in 2023, because the presidency cannot be hereditary and Nigeria is not a Banana Republic.”
On what Daura, he said “the elder was expressing his personal opinion and not the stand of the North in general. Little balancing was needed in position of our father, Zangon Daura, more so when he admitted that the elders are mere escorts for the younger generation today.”
The AYCF noted that when 13 Northern governors led by Kaduna state Governor Malam Nasir el-Rufai endorsed a southern candidate for the 2023 presidency, they repeatedly cited political justice.
“Though we are not card carrying members of the APC, we shared the view that the decision was in line with being fair to the South in 2023.
“We are aware, as well as our father, Zangon Daura, that the North is respected for honoring its promises to the South and this is one absolutely undeniable character of all Northerners. We are not known to break promises and that explains why our son, President Muhammadu Buhari never objected to the idea of Southern presidential candidate in the ruling party. In the North, like our father Zangon Daura knows, promises are sacred and in fact a culture,” the group said.
Atiku promises end to insurgency
And in continuation of his campaign, the PDP presidential candidate has vowed to make peace, security and unity in Nigeria his priority if elected as president.
He said the security of lives and property is the immediate need of Nigerians, which would foster economic growth.
Atiku made the promise Monday when he led his campaign team to Gombe.
The ex-VP said as someone familiar with the challenges facing the state, he would empower business people to thrive and engage youths and women with gainful employment.
The PDP flagbearer also promised to rejuvenate the virtues of Nigeria’s former Prime Minister, late Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, by bringing physical development to the people of the Northeast and Nigeria as a whole if voted in next year’s election.
He said voting for him in next year’s election is the same thing as bringing back the virtues of the revered nationalist because he will leave no stone unturned to bring back the lost glory of a prosperous Nigeria.
According to him, the PDP Government, which started the Dadin Kowa Dam project, would revitalise the project’s hydroelectric power and irrigation components to benefit the region and Nigeria.
In his remarks, Director General PDP Presidential Campaign and Sokoto state Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal assured that both the PDP and its presidential candidate, would never deceive Nigerians with their campaign promises if voted into power in next year’s election.
He said the party is ready to bring back the booming economy, the peace, security and prosperity the country was known for in the past.
National party chairman of the PDP, Professor Iyorcha Ayu, thanked the people of Gombe State for always supporting and standing by the party, promising not to fail them if allowed to rule the country.
