Nigeria is in a dire strait and needs an economically-savvy leader to salvage it, which is not about tribe as being bandied by Kwankwaso, according to the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.
In an interview on Arise Television Morning Show on Wednesday, July 6, which was monitored in Lagos, Obi took a swipe at Nigeria’s political class, particularly former Kano Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, whom he says plays the ethnic card instead of focusing on rescuing the country’s economy.
Obi said that Nigeria and its economy are in a coma and only barely survive, and frowned at comments by Kwankwaso that Northerners will not vote for Peter Obi because he is from the South East.
Kwankwaso had said: ” “What I’m telling you is that if anybody from the South-East now, under this circumstance, becomes the presidential candidate of our party or any other party, the implications is that because of the activities and other issues that are really on the ground, northern voters will certainly go for their northern candidate and another party. So, the thinking is not whether I like it or I don’t, the fact remains that everybody will lose. He will lose and I will lose.”
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Peter replied: “The comments from Kwankwaso is why we are where we are today, we vote for Incompetence based on the Primitive Consideration of Tribe & Religion.”
According to him, the country will soon default on its debt servicing due to myriads of economic woes in the country.
He said: “We choose to vote for incompetence based on a primitive consideration of ethnicity and religion. Tell me, today, you can’t travel from Abuja to Kaduna by air, by road, or by train. Is it because somebody from the South-East is in charge? You can’t travel from Abuja to Minna by road, is it because somebody from the South-East is in charge?
“Yesterday, we had an attack on the presidential convoy in Katsina, is it because a person from the South-East is in charge? Show me where you can buy food cheaper.
“You have not talked about electricity, or people are prospering in the North because northerners are in power? In the South-West, because they are in power or in the South-East.
“We have a huge problem and if you don’t know, this country will soon default on their debt servicing.”
Obi was speaking amid reports by the Debt Management Office that Nigeria’s debt profile has hit N41.6 trillion, having risen by N2.04 trillion in the first quarter of 2022, according to reports.
The DMO said with the increase in the country’s debt profile, its total public debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) now stands at 23.27 per cent, as against 22.43 per cent on December 31, 2021, ThisDay report said.
The DMO, in a statement posted on its website, explained that the amount represented the domestic and external debt stocks of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the 36 state governments and the Federal Capital Territory. The comparative figures for December 31, 2021, were N39.56 trillion or $95.78 billion.”
Peter Obi is seen as a top contender for the Nigerian presidency in 2023 and is gaining popularity among young Nigerians popularly called obedience, a BBC report said.