By Akinwale Kasali
Peter Obi, frontline Presidential aspirant of opposition Party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the forthcoming 2023 Presidential Election says he and other Presidential aspirants of Igbo extraction are not aspiring to the office of the Vice President. He said they are determined to run the race for the office of the President to the end.
The Presidential candidates of Igbo extraction on the platform of the PDP, recently met in Abuja, and said they would cooperate and present a common front to see that the ticket comes to the Zone.
Obi made this point when he appeared on Channels Television interview programme Sunday night of April 10, 2022.
The Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2019 Presidential election, pinpointed bad leadership failure as the major problem the nation is facing.
Having enjoyed 23 Years of uninterrupted democratic rule since 1999, the former Anambra State Governor said the nation has been lagging behind and has failed to achieve its full potential as leadership problem has led it to where it is at the moment .
Obi: “If I am to say what Nigeria’s biggest problem is, you can see that it is leadership failure.
“What we are experiencing now is the cumulative effect of leadership failure over the years. A leadership that has failed to look into the future and invest in the future.
“So, what Nigerians want to see is a leader who has the competence and capacity to start tackling the innermost problems affecting our country, starting from the issue of cohesion and unity, we are so divided today as a nation so there’s need to bring us together”.
On what he would achieve within the first 100 days if elected President,
Obi said he doesn’t believe in the idea of 100 days but believes that issues should be tackled as quickly as possible.
“I don’t believe in first 100 days because after it, then you lose momentum.
“The role of a leader is solving problems, bringing solutions to the problems and not creating more problems or blames”.
When asked about the readiness of the PDP to wrestle power from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the zoning issue that has been a major problem in the Party and the move to choose a consensus candidate, Obi said members of the party have agreed to base their decision on fairness and equity.
He also spoke on the alleged marginalization of the Igbo, saying that in addressing the situation, the Ohaneze group has been appealing to the conscience of other geopolitical zones.
“We’re not saying it is our turn by force, all I’m saying is, it is a humble appeal”.
“Ohaneze is appealing to the conscience of other zones to see our cry and to see that we are doing so based on our love and commitment for a better Nigeria”, he concluded.
