Senate President Godswill Akpabio has issued a caution to Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate, urging him to refrain from making divisive remarks that may lead to confusion within the nation. Obi, during a memorial lecture honoring Clark, expressed his concerns about the state of the country, asserting that ‘We are not a democratic nation. We must confront the truth.
The sacrifices of our past heroes have been in vain.’ In response, Akpabio, during a valedictory session in the Senate chamber for the late elder statesman, refuted Obi’s claims, attributing the unity of Nigeria during challenging times to the resilience of voices like Clark’s. ‘I must respectfully disagree; let Peter Obi demonstrate leadership by first addressing the issues within the Labour Party,’ he stated. ‘If he cannot resolve that crisis, how can he tackle the Boko Haram situation?’ The Senate President also criticized social media commentators, alleging that some spread misinformation without a proper understanding of the nation’s history.
He remarked that those ‘aspiring to be presidential candidates are creating confusion with their words.’ Akpabio urged them to ‘first resolve the issues within their party before discussing the broader context of Nigeria. They should address their internal party matters before attempting to speak on the larger national issues, as Pa Edwin Clark would have advised.’
Meanwhile, Obi has responded to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other critics who accused him of undermining Nigeria, asserting that he is merely stating the truth regarding the country’s circumstances. During a recent engagement at Johns Hopkins University in the United States, Obi detailed how Nigeria’s economic decline over the past 25 years has resulted in a significant rise in poverty rates.
He emphasised that the fate of a nation is closely tied to the quality of its leadership, lamenting that Nigeria has had to deal with poor leadership over the years.
Obi’s comments about the country were, however, condemned by Governor Sanwo-Olu, who described them as disparaging and unflattering remarks.
He said he finds Obi’s behavior troubling, noting that his comments about Nigeria on the global stage fail to present the country in a positive light.
“He made unflattering remarks not just about the incumbent Nigerian government but also about Nigeria. I also find Mr Obi’s pattern of behaviour disturbing. When prominent Nigerians go overseas, they ought to project Nigeria positively.
“They do not have to do that for the government. But we all owe a duty to market Nigeria on the global stage rather than demarket her. That is what true patriotism is about,” Sanwo-Olu had said in a statement.
But speaking on Wednesday while making a speech at Pa Edwin Clark’s memorial lecture in Abuja, Obi insisted that he did not in any way demarket Nigeria but only stated facts.
He wondered if the World Bank and UNICEF, who recently released some negative facts about poverty in Nigeria, were also doing it to demarket Nigeria.
Obi said, “I spoke a few days ago and people said I am demarketing Nigeria. When is truth being demarketing? The World Bank has just shown that 75% of Nigerians in rural areas are poor. Is the World Bank marketing Nigeria?
“UNICEF two days ago said that Nigeria has over two million malnourished children, the second highest in the world. Are they demarketing Nigeria? Let’s face the reality.”
