NEWSTOP STORY

  2023: Why Soludo, Arthur Eze, others are against my presidential ambition – Peter Obi

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has said those against his presidential bid were the ones who brought Nigeria and Nigerians to the current economic and socio-political problems.

Obi stated this on Friday shortly after signing the condolence register of the late President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Prof George Obiozor, at the National Secretariat of the Igbo socio-cultural organization in Enugu, the Enugu state capital.

The former Governor of Anambra State said he was not surprised that some people are against his presidential ambition, stressing that there will be danger and he will be scared if everybody begins to support his quest to be the next president in 2023.

He, however, dispelled the claims that some politicians in the South-East were not supporting him to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said: “What is happening is that some people have different opinions, everybody should not support me and everybody will not support me. In fact, if everybody supports me, there is danger. Some will disagree.

Some people have a structure that has brought us to this juncture where we produce 133 million people who are poor; where our primary health care has collapsed; where we have 20 million out-of-school children; where we have almost 40 per cent unemployment, with 60 per cent youth unemployment, and where we have the highest youth job prevent in the world.

“So, they will not support me but I urge all of us to remember that we need to build a new Nigeria. Nobody is against me, what people have is a different opinion which is allowed in a democratic dispensation.”

Paying glowing tributes to the late Ohanaeze leader, Obi said his demise is a big loss to the South East and the country in general.

He said the late Igbo leader had created a sense of loss to every Igbo person owing to his contributions to the progress of the Igbo nation.

He said, “I feel very sad that he died at this very trying time of our nation. If you know Prof Obiozor and his contributions over the years to our country, Nigeria and to the South-East, you will know that every Igbo person feels a sense of loss but we cannot question God.”