Former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has given condition under which he will contest the 2023 presidential election.
Obi, who was Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Vice Presidential Candidate in the 2019 presidential polls, stated this in an interview with Maazi Tochukwu Ezeoke of Njenje Media, yesterday, saying that although he was capable of turning around Nigeria’s fortunes, he would wait for PDP’s decision before declaring his intent.
His words: “All the elections I followed in the past, the PDP made a pronouncement and took a stand. At least in 2019 when I was involved, where I can say Atiku Abubakar chose me as his running mate, for which I remain grateful, the party decided that the candidate should come from the North.
“And I believe that the party owes it a duty to declare their stand. If its stand today is South, be rest assured I am aspiring, if it says North, I can’t do otherwise or the party may decide to chose the option that everybody is free with and then, you will hear from me.”
Obi, who affirmed his commitment to building a better country, enjoined Nigerians to choose a competent candidate who also has integrity, adding: “What we are looking for in this country today are people of integrity, conscience and people who are less greedy.”
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“Educational qualification is not a measure of integrity, as it doesn’t guarantee that somebody is less greedy or that people have conscience.”
Continuing, he said: “I have seen people who acquire what they don’t need. To fight corruption, we need somebody who has integrity, who is not greedy, who has conscience and if we have that, fighting corruption will become easier, because, if you who is in charge is not stealing, you will reduce stealing by 50 to 70 per cent.”
Obi noted that the country is collapsing because people were acquiring lands, houses and things they don’t need and that they were living a lifestyle far beyond the country’s economy and their earnings.
He also linked insecurity and poverty to the quest for needless riches, adding: “We need to manage the costs efficiently and these are the critical areas to focus on for people who will govern the country in the future.”
