If Nigeria gets its political leadership right, all other problems will fizzle out, says Obi

If only Nigeria can use the 2023 general election to get its political leadership right all other problems bedevilling the country will fizzle out, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has said on Friday in Abuja.

He said all the problems of Nigeria as a country be it in the economy, education, health or politcs revolves around political leadership that has failed the country over the years.

Obi spoke as a special guest in a TownHall engagement organized by the University of Abuja Leadership Center.

The LP Presidential touch bearer who spoke for over two hours said leadership failure over the years is responsible for the barrage of woes in the Nigerian political system.

According to him his manifesto is centered on turning the country from consumption to production in order to stop the country from  recycling  poverty.

“The only thing this country is manufacturing is poverty. Datti and I are coming to change all that because no country grows by consumption, without production.”

He said poverty is increasing in Nigeria because the leadership failed to invest enough in education and health which are what make the difference between a rich and a poor country.

He assured that all that will come to an end under his watch.

Obi noted that “life expectancy globally should be about 72 years but it’s 55 years in Nigeria because of the growing level of poverty in our country that is so blessed.

“This country should not be poor given its abundant natural and Human Resources.”

According to him he is coming with Datti to halt the drift and reposition the country as giant of Africa that the country is always referred to.

The former Anambra state Governor said that securing the country remains their number one priority because nothing, no matter how laudable, can be achieved without a secured environment, pointing out that his Presidency will negotiate with agitators who are amenable and deal with those who may be recalcitrant and uncooperative because there can only be one government at a time in a country.

He also spoke on a number of issues arising from the questions from the staff and students at the well attended Town Hall meeting, ranging from power, corruption and subsidy removal.

On the allegation made by one of the candidates that fuel scarcity and redesigning of the naira are deliberately created to sabotage the forthcoming election, Obi said that he runs his campaigns on issues and does not delve in candidate’s position but noted that since they are inside they may know what others do not know.

On the removal of fuel subsidy, he said that if given the opportunity, he will remove subsidy the first day in office because they have turned it into a huge racket of corruption which he and Datti will stop.

Obi told the students that the next election is about them and they must If Nigeria gets its political leadership right all other problems will fizzle out, says Obi
the opportunity to take back their country by insisting that character, competence and antecedents guide their decision, not religion, tribe and region or somebody’s turn because in truth it’s the turn of the teeming Nigerian youths who are wasting.

Earlier in the well attended Town Hall meeting, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, explained the motive of the gathering saying that intellectual engagement is the basis of political leadership.

The Vice Chancellor said that those aspiring to govern must be scrutinized, made to answer questions and wondered why Nigeria is where it is if not for poor political leadership which is everything.