Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has said that the wave of defections by governors in the South-East cannot guarantee the political capture of the region.
Obi, who spoke to reporters in Abuja on Wednesday, said Nigeria was operating under a democracy, not military rule, where the people, not governors or senators, ultimately decide who leads them.
Responding to questions about the recent defections of Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, and others to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Obi said such movements did not amount to capturing any state or zone.
“Peter Mbah is a good friend of mine. I believe that as governor, he must have taken his decision based on his own political views and calculations,” Obi said. “As for the alleged plot to capture the South-East, we are not in a military time when you capture people. You are a leader; you do the right things for them to follow you. So I don’t think anybody is capturing anywhere.”
The former Anambra State governor urged the Federal Government to focus on good governance, saying performance, not political manoeuvring, was what wins people’s loyalty. “The government needs to do more if it wants the people to support it,” he added.
Speaking on the planned protest for the release of detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, by activist Omoyele Sowore, Obi reiterated his long-standing position that dialogue, not detention, was the way forward.
“There was no need for his arrest in the first place. I’ve always said I will consult, negotiate, and discuss with anybody who is agitating. Let’s follow the rules and dialogue with them,” he stated.
On expectations from Professor Joash Amupitan, who has been nominated as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Obi urged him to ensure credibility in future elections. “We want a new Nigeria where elections are free, fair and credible, and people with competence, capacity, compassion and character are elected,” he said.
He added that public officeholders should act with integrity, reminding Amupitan that “none of us will be here forever. Whatever position we occupy, we must do the right thing and protect our reputation.”