Senate President Godswill Akpabio has cautioned the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, against making what he described as divisive remarks that could sow confusion in the country.
Obi had, during a memorial lecture in honour of elder statesman Edwin Clark, lamented the country’s political condition, saying: “We are not a democratic country. Let’s tell ourselves the truth. The labour of our heroes past is in vain.”
In response, Akpabio, speaking during a valedictory session in the Senate on Thursday in honour of the late Clark, firmly disagreed. He credited Nigeria’s unity in turbulent times to the resilience of voices like Clark’s.
“I beg to disagree,” Akpabio said. “Let Peter Obi show leadership first by resolving the crisis in the Labour Party. If he is unable to resolve that crisis, is it the crisis of Boko Haram he can resolve?”
The Senate President also criticized social media commentators, accusing some of spreading misinformation without adequate knowledge of Nigeria’s history.
“Those aspiring to be presidential candidates are causing confusion with their mouths,” he added. “Tell them to resolve the small party they have first before talking about the larger Nigeria. That is what Pa Edwin Clark would have advised.”
Meanwhile, Peter Obi has responded to criticism from Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and others, who accused him of “demarketing” Nigeria on the international stage.
Speaking at Johns Hopkins University in the U.S., Obi highlighted Nigeria’s economic decline over the past 25 years, pointing to rising poverty levels and comparing the country unfavourably with China, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
He stressed that poor leadership is the root of Nigeria’s problems, saying, “The fate of a nation is determined by the quality of its leadership.”
Sanwo-Olu had earlier condemned Obi’s remarks, calling them “unflattering” and “disparaging,” and urged prominent Nigerians to portray the country positively abroad, regardless of political affiliations.
In response, Obi insisted he was only stating facts, not demarketing the country.
“I spoke a few days ago, and people said I am demarketing Nigeria. When did telling the truth become demarketing?” Obi asked during the Clark memorial lecture. “The World Bank recently reported that 75% of Nigerians in rural areas are poor — are they demarketing Nigeria too? UNICEF said we have over two million malnourished children, the second highest in the world. Are they also demarketing Nigeria?”
