Politics
By Kennedy Nnamani
PETER Obi, the ex-governor of Anambra State has tactically announced his presidential ambitions for the 2023 general elections. This, he disclosed yesterday in Lagos during the 4th annual lecture of Freedom Online.
While reacting to the lecture presented by Gbenga Daniel, the 14th governor of Ogun state and keynote speaker on the theme “Nigeria’s Political Indices: Bright or Bleak future”, Obi, who was also the former running mate of Atiku Abubakar, in the 2019 presidential race under the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, remarked that Gabriel Akinadewo, the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of Freedom Online had predicted the positions which some dignitaries would occupy by 2023, but omitted his name.
“Gabriel came today and added that Gbenga Daniel is his boss and will be in the Senate by next year, but Gabriel didn’t say where I will be next year. He would have said Peter Obi will be the president next year,” he remarked.
There were thunderous applauds, following this statement of Obi with more than half of the hall shouting “Aso Rock!”
While underscoring some points and issues raised by the keynote speaker, Obi emphasized the importance of good leadership in the country, noting that good leadership and investment in human development is the key to nation building.
According to him, poor leadership is as a result of unqualified recruitment; “Poor leadership can destroy good deeds,” he stated.
“The country we abuse today will take its revenge on all of us,” he added.
In the same vein, Gbenga Daniel encouraged Nigerians to shorn electoral malpractices and vote selling, noting that it will only enslave the future of the nation.
“It is better to sleep a night with hunger than suffer for another four years,” he said.
Senator Ahmed Muhammed Makarfi, former governor of Kaduna state and chairman of the occasion, expressed optimism in the situation of the country, noting that there is the need to make right choices during the electoral process.
“There is hope and there is a lot of things to be done,” he said.
He also emphasized the need to do the right things. According to him, “If they give you money, collect the money and do the right thing.”
While adding his voice, Dakuku Peterside, former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, highlighted four cardinal roadmaps which the nation need to follow for development.
“We must draw road maps on where we want to be tomorrow, we must begin to focus on the quality of leadership and recruitment of the leaders we want, we must have a common understanding of development, we must intentionally mobilize our citizenry to stand up and hold leaders responsible,” he said.
Prof. Akin Onigbinde, on his side, decried the rate of migration going on in the country, noting that most youths now want to leave the country. He also lamented that the nation has become a monarchical dispensation where one person decides the affairs of a political party.
A.I
-March 23, 2022 @ 22:26 GMT |
Tags: Ahmed Muhammed Makarfi Atiku Abubakar Dakuku Peterside Gabriel Akinadewo Gbenga Daniel Peter Obi Prof. Akin Onigbinde
