I have always advised Peter Obi to channel his energies to other things – Obidigbo

The President of Osisioma Foundation, Dr. Chike Obidigbo, has expressed dismay at the mixed reactions trailing the recent Edo State governorship election.

Obidigbo said the observations and outcome of the poll underscored his advice to Peter Obi.

He disclosed that as a long time friend he had been urging the 2023 Presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) to channel his energies to other interests, especially to his concern for the wellbeing of young people instead of continued involvement in Nigeria’s politics.

Obidigbo said he was surprised to hear some commentators chiding Obi for supporting Olumide Akpata, who was accused of breaching the zoning arrangement in Edo State, not minding the democratic inclination of the former LP presidential candidate.

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In a statement on Friday, the elder statesman regretted that the Nigeria system has been skewed against those who insist on doing things the right way like Peter Obi, adding that the Igbo are usually frustrated by the Nigerian system that upholds double standards and conspiracy.

He wondered why those that criticized Obi for supporting Akpata did not find their voice in 2023 when it was obvious that the power rotation favoured the Southeast.

“Nigerians should have come together to insist that all the major political parties recognise that it was the turn of the Southeast to produce the President, since politicians were not prepared to repeat the 1999 standard that threw up all presidential candidates from the Southwest.

“With all the antics of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and the Judiciary, the question Nigerians will resolve in 2027 is whether the country’s democracy will continue without an Igbo person at the pinnacle of leadership.

“Northeast is having another four years after previous eight as Vice President. Northwest has had eleven years as President and three years as vice president. Southwest is on another four years after cumulative sixteen years as president and vice president respectively.

“If Nigeria has become a rogue nation that has no respect for the rule of law, fairness and equity, then it would be time to review the union. How can there by democracy without respect for the rule of law? When injustice is perpetrated against the Igbo everybody keeps quiet,” he stated.

Obidigbo declared that the insult and denigration of Igbo in Nigeria has attained an unbearable turn, saying that it is time for all Igbo to begin to give serious thought about this systematic exclusion.

He lamented that politicians from Southeast have been frightened so much so that none of them is bold enough to speak out about the growing injustice and maltreatment of the Igbo in the Nigeria project.

“These Igbo politicians have become mere breadwinners. They are not representing anybody except their bellies and narrow political interests. Look at the case of Nnamdi Kanu, he has been jailed through the backdoor just for speaking up against the growing injustice against his people.

“If things are done the proper way in the country and Igbo not visited with hate and gang up, Kanu would not be agitating. His quest for referendum is because Nigeria has been rubbing salt into injury of the Igbo. What nation does not respect its laws?” he queried.

The Osisioma Foundation boss said the outcome of the Edo State governorship was a veiled message to Obi that Nigeria is not yet ready for his kind of politics of nation building, stressing that the nation is doomed when politicians feel no qualms to bribe, conspire and steal elections.

He stated: “So, as a friend of Peter Obi for very many years, I urge him to stop further efforts of trying to improve Nigeria’s leadership recruitment process. He is too decent for the kind of duplicity being played in Nigeria.

“My take is that Peter Obi should channel his vast energy and wide acceptance towards the liberation of his suffering people, rather than waste them on an ungrateful and unreasonably antagonistic people. Enough of these pretences Obi has too much to offer to a system that is so locked in filth.”