Senate President Godswill Akpabio criticized former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, advising him to address the internal conflicts within his party before aspiring to lead Nigeria. Akpabio made this remark during a Valedictory Session honoring the late elder statesman Chief Edwin Clark.
He implied that Obi’s attention to national matters would be more valid if he first managed the ongoing leadership struggles in his party. “If you can’t solve the issues in the Labour Party, how can you tackle Boko Haram’s crisis in Nigeria?” Akpabio challenged. He urged aspiring presidential candidates to stop creating divisions on social media and to fix their own parties before considering a national role.
Akpabio contrasted his governance accomplishments, including infrastructure development and advancements in health and education, with Obi’s record. “I can talk about the dualized roads in my city, the international hospitals, the free education system, and promoting unity by sponsoring many to pilgrimage sites,” he noted. “Those who wish to govern Nigeria should begin by addressing what they can manage.”
This statement came in response to Obi’s remarks the previous day, where he expressed during his tribute to Clark that the sacrifices of Nigeria’s past heroes had been wasted, citing the deteriorating economic and social situation. “We say the labor of our heroes past should not be in vain, but it is. People protested fuel price hikes under Jonathan; now they are silent with fuel prices at N900,” Obi stated.
Additionally, Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo criticized Obi for questioning the legitimacy of the upcoming governorship election in Edo on September 21, 2024. He called Obi’s comments “unfounded and disrespectful” and asserted that the election would be conducted with a high level of transparency and fairness.
“Mr. Obi’s comments are baseless and seem politically motivated,” said Okpebholo through his Chief Press Secretary Fred Itua, urging him to respect the mandate given by the people of Edo and to contribute positively to democratic dialogue, rather than undermining it. Okpebholo also emphasized that the stability and peace of Edo State should not be jeopardized by “reckless and divisive rhetoric.”
