2023: Why Tinubu, Atiku cannot govern Nigeria – Peter Obi – Premium Times

Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Bola Tinubu, cannot govern Nigeria.
Mr Obi spoke during the LP presidential campaign rally held at the Michael Okpara Square, Enugu on Thursday.
The former governor of Anambra State suggested that Mr Tinubu and Atiku were too old and lacked the requisite energy to govern Nigeria in 2023.
The LP candidate said he and his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, remain the “best pair” among the candidates for the 2023 general election given that they are younger than others and have the needed energy to lead the country.
He noted both the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu (76) and that of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu (70), were also older than their LP counterpart, Julius Abure (52).
“Of all the major presidential candidates – we are three. Two have come (to the South-east) and gone. If you go and check their age, the first one is in his 70’s, the second one, nobody knows his actual age,” he said.
Although the LP candidate did not mention names in his remarks, he was apparently referring to Mr Tinubu and Atiku.
Atiku is 76 years old while Mr Tinubu said he is 70 years old, although his age has been a subject of controversy lately, with many suggesting he is older than he admitted and that he allegedly changed his age repeatedly.

“But if you compare them with two of us (Obi and Baba-Ahmed) if you merge our age and divide it by two, we are in our 50’s,” Mr Obi stated, suggesting that he and his running mate were much younger than the two other candidates.
“Aso Rock is not a retirement home. We have said it. Let people who are old look for retirement homes elsewhere.
“When I came to Enugu, I visited the Enugu campus (of UNN) and then went to Nsukka Campus, before coming here. After here, I will travel to Onitsha. They can’t do it.
“This (presidency) job requires energy,” he said.

Mr Obi also said Mr Baba-Ahmed was also young and capable of working for the country, unlike other vice-presidential candidates.
“This person standing here has gone to Kano. He has gone to Kaduna,” he said of Mr Baba-Ahmed.
“They can’t do it,” the former governor insisted, indirectly referring to Mr Tinubu and Atiku.
Mr Obi said he would unite and secure Nigeria if elected president in 2023.
The LP candidate also said he would end the recurring strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities to prevent disruption of academic activities in the country’s university system.

“We will go into mass production which will create jobs for our teeming unemployed youths.”
The former governor added that his administration would end police harassment in Nigeria and focus on recruiting youths into various levels of the country’s security agencies to fight insecurity.
“We will recruit Nigerians into all levels of security agencies, pay them well and provide them with insurance cover so that they can do their work,” he stated.
“Datti and I are wealth creators. We have created wealth from the scratch. All we want is an opportunity to build Nigeria. I am contesting because I’m the best candidate,” Mr Obi stated.
The first civilian governor of Anambra State, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, asked people of the state and the South-east to vote for Mr Obi, saying his candidacy was in line with equity, justice and fairness.
“Obi will restore many years the locusts have eaten, heal the land and build a new Nigeria,” he said.
On his part, Nnia Nwodo, a former President-General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, said different regions in Nigeria have endorsed Mr Obi to become the country’s next president in 2023.
Mr Nwodo, who is also the Coordinator of Southern Nigeria and Middle Belt Forum, said the “massive endorsement” of the LP candidate was not only because he is an Igbo man but also as a “handiwork of God.”
Afam Ugwuani, a resident of Enugu State told PREMIUM TIMES that the LP candidate has the capacity to deliver on his promises to the people.
“People are following him because of what he did as governor of Anambra State. We believe that he will do more as president of Nigeria,” Mr Ugwuani said.
Cyprian Eze, another resident, said although Mr Obi has been enjoying growing popularity, there are chances he might not fulfil all the promises to the people if he wins the presidential election.

“If we are to be realistic, the LP is unlikely to have majority in the national assembly. And every president needs the cooperation of Senators and the House of Representatives (members) to do well.
“So, how can he guarantee that he will get the backing of the federal lawmakers to carry out some of the great ideas he has for Nigeria? Let’s hope that if he wins, his victory can help make enough Labour Party national assembly candidates to win too,” he said.
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