Former governor Peter Obi was in Ogun on Monday to seek the support of members of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP state chapter for his presidential bid in 2023.
Speaking to party members at the party’s office in Abeokuta, the state capital, Obi, the PDP’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2019 elections, asked Nigerians to consider their children’s future when exercising their franchise in the 2023 general election.
Obi, who has asked party members to support him in the PDP presidential primaries set for May, has also recommended Nigerians to do comprehensive background checks on the candidates seeking their votes so that the country does not go on another journey of pain and agony.
The Presidential aspirant regretted the spate of insecurity in the nation under the current administration, arguing that the raging banditry and terrorism in Nigeria resulted from leadership failure of the past
His words, “Do not look at money or what people are saying, let’s change the country. I have seen the pains of people in the North East and North West. All you hear is our elites and political leaders’ conspiracy. Nigerians are one and they love each other.
“There is agitation everywhere. We have banditry, and terrorism, these are the culmination of leadership failure in Nigeria. Our country never looks into the future and the consequences are what we are seeing today Is a failure of not investing in the future. We must act now so that Nigeria will not collapse.
“Our country has 33 percent of unemployment when you add underemployment, it’s about 65 percent and 60 percent of these are youths. Our youths in their productive age are doing nothing. Today out country is owing retirees pensions and gratuities. We must change this situation. Our universities are closed, about 16 million students are out of school, unemployment amongst our Youths is the highest in the world.
“Think about the society your children will live, Anybody who comes here and say to you that he wants to be a President, ask, ‘where was he 25 years ago and what has he done, where is he coming from, ask questions about his achievements in the past. Where have you work? Which school did he go to, let us know how he manage public money that was given to him in past.”
In his welcome speech, Ogun PDP Chairman, Alhaji Sikirulai Ogundele lamented the hardship Nigerians have been going through since the All Progressives Congress, APC took to power in 2015.
Also speaking, one of the party’s governorship aspirants, Oladipupo Adebutu, described obi as a credible, outstanding and responsible man capable for the job of the Nigerian presidency.
“Peter Obi is very credible, outstanding, responsible, and outstanding Presidential aspirant. APC is clueless, aimless. the Minister of Information is even tired of his lying.
He, however, assured Peter Obi of the full support of Ogun delegates if he is elected to be the presidential candidate of the party come May.