Obi, an election merchant, can’t run Nigeria – APC official

Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has described one of the leading opposition candidates, Peter Obi, of the Labour Party, as an election merchant without any distinctive political ideology.

Salihu Lukman, the APC deputy national chairman (North-west), in a statement, on Sunday, said Mr Obi lacks the capacity to resolve challenges facing the country.

Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, leads several opinion polls that have been conducted ahead of 25 February presidential election.

Although, many have expressed doubt about the capacity of Mr Obi to win the election because of the lack of political structure, he enjoys support in the southern part of the country, and notably among young people, who see him as a “bit of fresh air.”

But Mr Obi’s opponents point to his history of moving from one political party to another.

He was governor under the All Progressives Grand Alliance no. In 2019, he was running mate to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and last year, he moved to the LP after it became glaring he would not get the presidential ticket of the PDP.

Election merchant

“In terms of the person of Mr. Peter Obi, so far, his characteristics is that of a typical Nigerian politician who is more of an election merchant presenting himself every four years for election, even if it means changing political party.

“Being an election merchant connotes an obvious lack of commitment and discipline to be loyal to any political party. This partly explains why Mr. Obi moved from All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and now LP between 2015 and now.

“Mr. Obi is clearly alien to any ideological standpoint that can bring him close to the working class, which is the primary constituency of LP. Some of us are privileged to have been intellectually and organically connected to that constituency,” he said.

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Mr Lukman also refuted the rumour that he may be working for the emergence of Mr Obi despite being a member of the National Working Committee of the APC.

“Many of us in APC are supporting Asiwaju as part of our ongoing campaign to continue to build the APC as a progressive party, capable of producing accountable elected representatives at all levels.

“We do so with full confidence that Asiwaju will build on the legacy of President Buhari, which also include respecting internal debate and contestation within the APC. APC is the only party today in Nigeria that permit internal debate and contestations,” he said.