- Safiu Kehinde
The 2023 Labour Party’s Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has expressed his desire to work with former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, as he shelved idea of joining the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in a bid to secure the presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general election.
Obi made this known while speaking on X Space hosted by the Obidient Movement on Sunday.
Responding to question over stand on the ADC Presidential ticket which had both him and Atiku strongly tipped for the ticket, the former Anambra state governor described Atiku as a senior brother he much respected and willing to work with.
Obi maintained that he is largely a member of the coalition party, stressing that the ADC Presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 election will be collectively determined.
“All of you are in this country when ADC was launched. I was there. I’ve been part of ADC from inception. All oppositions must come together if we are to make changes.
“Atiku remains a leader I respect. He remains a very senior brother respect and always wants to work with.
“Most important I want to see in the ADC is that what is it that we are offering Nigeria more than what they are getting now.
“If it is just about getting the power, Peter Obi is not part of it. For me, it is what are we offering? I’m going in there to be a member. It is for us to collectively say who can easily say who can do it better?
“I have allergy for money being wrongly spent. ADC must offer something different.” He said.
Obi further addressed the fate of his movement while addressing the question on whether the followers of the Obidient movement should start registering with the ADC.
While giving no specific directive on the possible move of the movement to the ADC, the ex-presidential candidate held that nobody is a follower of the movement but are believers in its good course towards a better Nigeria.
“Nobody is a follower in this movement. We are all believers in it. We are all in it together because we say we want to get it better.” He said.
Meanwhile, Obi identified financial misappropriation as the biggest problem facing Nigeria.
He decried lack of integrity among public office holders.
“It is time we understand as a country is that the biggest problem of our country is fiscal rascality.
“Educational qualification is not a measure of integrity. We are looking for people who can manage our money in a manner that makes all the difference.
‘Our is a country where we celebrate and normalise greed and criminality. I want people should normalise that people should go to school.
“I’m not a saint; I never claimed to be one. But whatever I’ve done, I did within the context of the law.” The former Anambra governor said.