By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Presidential candidate for the opposition and leadership crisis-ridden Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 General elections, Peter Gregory Obi, has declared unequivocally that he is not desperate to be Nigeria’s President at any point in his life.
Peter Obi also dismissed insinuations that he is preparing to dump the Labour Party anytime soon, saying that it is mere rumors peddled by politicians who are jittery about his political popularity in the country.
He was fielding questions from Journalists in Bauchi on Sunday shortly after he commissioned a hand pump for water supply in Sabon Layi Community, a suburb of the Bauchi metropolis.
According to him, “I am not thinking of 2027, my concern for now is how to improve the living standards and conditions of Nigerians. Nobody should be talking about politics now, the focus should be on good governance that will make Nigeria better.”
The former Presidential candidate of LP stressed that, “The leadership crisis in the LP presently is not an abnormal thing, it is an in house problem and it will be solved amicably as a family.”
He further stressed that, “I have never thought of leaving the LP, I only advocated for peace because I am a man who believe in peace, I am a man who believe in unity, I am a man believes that we are the same. I don’t see any difference between you and me, by the grace of God I always want to do the right thing that is the reason I came here personally, I would have asked someone to represent me, no, I didn’t.”
According to him, “For me, it is not about elections, we spend more time talking about elections, let us spend time talking about how we can put poor people out of poverty, let’s spend time to know how out-of-school children will be back to school, let’s spend time in other areas, it is not about elections,”
He added that,” I have said it before that I am not desperate to be President, I am desperate to see Nigeria work for the people. It is important for me because we cannot continue this way, poor people in this country are suffering alot. I am urging all leaders in and out of office, this is time for us to listen to to the people, it is time to work with them, time to feel a bit of their pains.”
Peter Obi stressed that,”The crisis in the LP will be resolved just like I have been saying and at the end things will get better. Labour Party is not the problem of Nigeria, the problem of Nigeria is beyond Labour Party, so, my focus is not on the Labour Party but on Nigeria, my promise is a new Nigeria and that new Nigeria is what I am focussed and it important that we all remain focussed on it.”
“If we fixed the leadership problems in Nigeria, I would not have been here to provide this water. So, let us talk about issues of this water, let’s talk about how the people will live and eat. I assure that Labour Party will resolve its issue as a family, no family is perfect,” he concluded.