Politics
Anyone without license will no longer drive Nigeria – Obi
The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, has stated that it is time for the country to be rescued from the leadership failure which has continued to dwarf its growth and development over the years.
Speaking at Jamie Pajoel International Leadership Conference in Owerri, yesterday, Obi likened the leadership failure in Nigeria to inexperienced and unlicensed drivers trying to drive a vehicle. He said that such a venture will only end in disaster. He explained that the retrogression that is witnessed in almost every sector of the nation is because there is no true leadership in the country.
“Take for example, our power sector that is not generating enough capacity to power the nation. It has been proven that every 1000 megawatts of electricity generated in a developing country, adds as much as 1% to their GDP. So if we had invested our borrowed funds to generate additional 15,000 megawatts, our GDP would have increased by 15%. By so doing, manufacturing would have moved higher from below 7% level where it is today, enabling us to create at least 4 million jobs,” he said.
Reiterating his stand that the vast landmass in the North remains one of the best assets of the nation, Obi said that it is unfortunate that such treasure is left unexplored, while the country blindly depends on oil revenue. He argued that a visionary leadership would invest in agriculture and put the rich vast lands of the North to good use.
“Borno State is 70900 km in landmass, yet, they have lands that are not yielding anything to the country. Sambisa forest, a vast farmland in Bornu State, is twice the size of Israel, which is just about 22,000km2. Israel produces enough food for its population and for exports, while Nigeria can hardly feed the people.
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“Borno State is twice the size of Netherlands, which is about 33,000km2 in landmass excluding water. Last year, Netherlands exported agricultural products worth of $120 billion. Here the entire country cannot yet feed itself. If Bornu State had achieved 1% of what Netherlands did in agriculture, that would have given the State $1.2 billion, which when converted to naira at the prevailing exchange rate, will comfortably fund the State’s budget, with so much surplus left.
“The difference in all of these is true leadership, which is evidently lacking in Nigeria. That is why I am submitting that from next year, we will no longer allow this vehicle called Nigeria, to be driven by drivers without license. If you must ‘drive this vehicle,’ we must see your license,” Obi submitted.
Concluding, Obi encouraged Nigerians to see the 2023 elections as an opportunity to select capable leaders who can pilot the affairs of the nation. He urged them to eschew all forms of tribal and religious sentiments while choosing capable leaders for the nation. He said”In the coming elections, we refuse to be divided along ethnic and religious lines. I have severally argued that hunger and suffering knows no tribe. There is no where Christians buy bread cheaper than Muslims. The hike in price of diesel, high level of insecurity and every other challenge, is affecting all Nigerians equally, irrespective of tribe and religion. We must then unite as one and rally behind capable leaders with verifiable track records of success, for the sake of our collective interest.”
The leadership of the Labour Party (LP) under Julius Abure has been vindicated by the content of the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court judgement between Nenadi Usman and the party.
This was contained in a statement on its verified handle on micro-blogging site, X on Wednesday night.
According to the National Publicity Secretary
Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh
As promised earlier, we warned that Senator Nenadi Usman and her cohorts have been in the voyage of misleading Nigerians with wrong interpretation of the judgement of the apex court.
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There is no where it stated that the leadership of Barrister Julius Abure led executive has elapsed or that Nenadi Usman and her National Caretaker Committee has been directed to take over the leadership of the Labour Party.
The Supreme Court emphatically stated that issues within the political party are internal affairs of the party and that party supremacy must be observed.
It is pertinent for us to state clearly that there is no vacuum in the leadership of the Labour Party. The highest organ of the party, the national convention has in March 2024 elected its leaders in line with the constitution of the party and electoral act and their tenure is subsisting.
Consequent upon that, any meeting convened in disregard to the constitution of the party is illegal and the outcome null and void. We are therefore warning all those involved in the illegal meeting holding in Abuja to refrain from further factionalising the party and respect the constitution of the party as we will not fail to activate the provision of the party on disciplinary actions.
Okai Austin, a key figure in Kogi State’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alongside his associates Okpanachi Jacob and Peter Onuma, has issued a formal apology to Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo after a media claim accusing him of diverting N13.4 billion from the state’s funds.
In a press conference held in March, the trio had made the explosive allegation, demanding that the funds be refunded.
However, on Tuesday, they withdrew the accusation and publicly apologized in a letter addressed to the governor.
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The letter, issued by Okai Austin on behalf of himself and his co-signatories, stated: “Upon further review and diligent comparison of the relevant facts, particularly those provided by the State Government concerning the disbursement of funds intended for local government development, I came to the realization, after much briefing and clarification, of the significant discrepancies in the information upon which the previous statement was based.”
The trio admitted that their earlier claim was based on inaccurate information and clarified that the funds in question were actually ₦3 billion, not ₦13.4 billion.
They also included documentation detailing the approved distribution of these funds, which was provided by the state government.
“We have no personal animosity, hatred, or ill feelings towards your government, personality, tribe, or any member of your family.
“We hold Your Excellency, Governor Usman Ododo, in high regard as the duly elected Governor of our esteemed state,” the letter continued.
Furthermore, they emphasized that their actions were not motivated by partisan differences or tribal bias, but rather from a genuine desire to participate in the democratic process and hold the government accountable.
The apology letter concluded with a full acceptance of responsibility: “We take full responsibility for any damage or inconvenience our assertions may have caused.”
The trio expressed sincere regret for any distress their earlier remarks might have caused the governor, his administration, or the people of Kogi State.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially endorsed Chief Jude Ezenwafor as its candidate for the November 8, 2025, Anambra State governorship election.
Ezenwafor, a real estate developer based in Abuja, was the only aspirant in the race and secured the support of all 853 accredited delegates from the 21 local government areas of the state.
The party’s primary election took place on Tuesday at the Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre in Awka.
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In line with party procedure, even though he was unopposed, delegates were issued ballot papers and asked to write down the name of their preferred candidate.
The voting began with 14 national delegates casting their votes before the state delegates took turns according to their local government areas.
Ezenwafor was declared winner by the head of the PDP National Committee overseeing the primary, Col. Chijioke Onwubuya (retd), who announced the results after the votes were counted.
Grateful for the party’s backing, Ezenwafor thanked the delegates and called for unity and hard work ahead of the election.
“I thank all the delegates for the massive support and their endorsement. We are going to work hard to ensure the party wins the governorship election,” he said.
Ezenwafor’s emergence follows his purchase of the party’s N40 million nomination form, making him the sole contender in the PDP’s governorship primary.
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