Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, on Wednesday, dismissed polls for the 2023 elections that put the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi ahead of others, including the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) Bola Tinubu and the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Atiku Abubakar.
Sule, who spoke during a live interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, argued that the criticisms of Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, by the incumbent Governor Charles Soludo devalued his predecessor as a presidential candidate to less than 10 kobo.
Asked to mention the traits that makes Tinubu stand out from his opponents, Sule said, “Today, the current governor of Anambra State where Peter Obi was governor is the right person who will tell what has happened during the period of Peter Obi.
“Today, I’m in a better position to tell you what Tanko Al-Makura did compared to what we see on the pages of newspapers, because I have the files and numbers in front of me.
“So, if you go to Anambra, look at what governor of Anambra (is saying). They were in the same party. It’s not that they changed parties. It’s Peter Obi that changed parties but it’s the same All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
“So, if you go and see what he is saying today about Peter Obi, you will not buy Peter Obi for 10 kobo.”
According to Sule, people who argue otherwise have no idea about reality.
“Now, do you have the same with Asiwaju (Tinubu) and the governors who came after him in Lagos? Is Lagos better looking today than Anambra? Is the economy of Lagos better today than Anambra? It’s like day and night. There is no comparison,” he said.
Soludo’s Criticisms, Obi’s Response
Soludo, in a lengthy statement on November 14, tackled Obi, saying the LP candidate cannot win the 2023 presidential election.
The former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor said Obi knows he cannot win the 2023 presidential elections and is only playing a game.
“Let’s be clear: Peter Obi knows that he can’t and won’t win,” Soludo said. “He knows the game he is playing, and we know too; and he knows that we know.
“The game he is playing is the main reason he didn’t return to APGA. The brutal truth (and some will say, God forbid) is that there are two persons/parties seriously contesting for president: the rest is exciting drama!”
However, Obi said after doing his little as governor, Soludo was in a position to do his best as an economics professor.
“He (Soludo) remains my brother, we are very close. I remain prayerful for him. For other things which I didn’t succeed at, God has given him opportunity to do it and succeed.
“So, if there is anything pending, governance doesn’t finish, people are still in government in America, so you stop where you will stop, other people will continue from there,” Obi said.
