Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi has replied the vice-presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Kashim Shettima for saying that Obi can only be president of Igbo nation. Easterner earlier reported that the running mate of Bola Tinubu, the ruling APC presidential candidate, Shettima said the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, can only be President of Igbo land and not Nigeria. The former Borno State Governor stated this recently while featuring on a Channel’s TV programme.
He noted that the LP candidate lacked the requisite experience to rule Nigeria and that the country is too big for the former Anambra State governor to handle. Obi who replied to him in an interview with Vanguard, said that such a statement from Shettima is a threat to Nigerian unity. He said he satisfied all the requirements to contest for the office of President, adding that he is more qualified than Bola Tinubu who is a principal to Kashim Shetima.
He said, “I’ve heard all sorts of things from people and some are statements that should not be made by people who are in leadership positions. One of the presidential candidates once said a section of the country will not vote for me and now another one. Such statements, for me, debases the polity and questions the unity and the love we should have for each other.
“INEC has stated the qualifications for contesting the elections which I’m sure I’ve fulfilled and I do not know the special qualification his principal, the APC candidate, possesses that I do not possess and I think I’m more qualified than his principal for that office. Is it age qualification? Is it education? Is it in terms of being an entrepreneur?
“I believe that anybody can be more qualified than me. But I’m qualified. His principal is a two-term governor, I am a two-term governor too. I’ve managed public resources comfortably and effectively to the best of my knowledge. I’m not saying other people didn’t do well. I’m not saying others are not qualified. But I’m saying that if we look at what we have been able to do in the past, I’m very very qualified to be the president of the country.
“Unless there is another qualification unknown to law and the public. Such statements are statements that have made us bring people who are not competent and people who are not qualified to lead us and that is why we are where we are today.”
“I’ve heard people say ‘Obi can make a good vice president to be in charge of the economy.’ But Nigeria’s problem is the economy. So, a player you know is very good is the one you want to put on the bench, then you are not ready to solve the problem of the country.
“If you solve the problem of the economy, insecurity will be reduced in a way. Once the economy is good you can unite the country because once people are productive and are doing well, they will not care about tribalism or religion. And I have said my job is to remove the country from consumption to production,” he added.
