By Anthony Nwachukwu
Contrary to the widely held belief, the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has insisted that Nigeria’s problem is neither religion nor ethnicity, but rather the failure of leadership, which his administration will correct if he is elected president in the 2023 general elections.
Obi who was answering questions from support groups across the globe during a virtual meeting Thursday night, said that Nigerians, whether Muslims or Christians, are facing the same problems.
“There is nowhere in Nigeria where a Muslim buys cheaper bread because he is a Muslim, ditto Christian. Our economic problems arising from poor leadership does not discriminate on the basis of religion or tribe,” the Obi-Datti Media office quoted him to say.
“There is no separate electricity for a Christian or Muslim, everyone is suffering the same thing. We can’t continue repeating the same method we have been using that is not working.
“I have said it repeatedly, don’t vote for me because of where I come from. Vote for me because of what I’m offering. I am the most qualified in this presidential race not because of where I come from but because of what I am coming with, what I can offer.
“My antecedents, my qualifications – I have been tested with power and I left a mark, the only governor in Nigerian history who finished eight years and left money, built infrastructure, owed no contractor or salary or pension.
“I have been to the best schools in the world, acquired enormous knowledge for leadership challenges. I am a businessman and in it I left records.”
Explaining why his focus will be much in northern part of the country as president, Obi said because the potentials there are much and need to be tapped and harnessed.
“With what I have in mind for the north, the region will forever remain grateful because I am going to change the region. We need to cultivate arable land there.”
Obi regretted that Nigeria is the poverty capital of the world and the north contributes the larger chunk of it in spite of its sons being in power for 47 out of Nigeria’s 62 years of nationhood.
“What that means is that who is in power, whether your tribesman or your religion, is not the solution but the capacity and competence of the person.
“Very distinguished and respected Nigerians from the north have ruled this country, but if you come to Nigeria today, the 10 poorest states are in the region; the region has the most unemployed youth, out of school children, and the worst school kidnap record globally.”
Noting Nigeria is not the only country with diversity, Obi said that it depends on how diversity is being handled. As proof, he said the Central Mosque in London, which is worth millions of pounds, was donated by the Queen of England, who was not a Muslim, and in Dubai, the huge Catholic Church building was built by the Emir of Dubai, who is not a Christian.
“I have said it frequently that the 2023 election must not be on anybody’s entitlements, his religion or tribe, but on competence, character and what you did before, and how you handled public funds when it was placed in your custody.”
Obi also answered questions on other areas, including link with Nigerian students who are now back on campus, saying: “To Nigerian students, you will never regret being part of this movement. You can never regret being part of taking back Nigeria, I assure you.”
Meanwhile, the Obi-Datti Media Group noted that within 10 minutes of opening the zoom meeting, over 50,000 persons, who were anxious and desirous to hearing from their reigning political icon, joined the meeting. However, a lot more could not join as the zoom app could not cope with the rush.
Obi’s zoom meeting with support group was part of the strategy to keep in touch with his numerous followers at home and in the diaspora, as well as get feedback from them on his policies and programmes.
