The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has advised Nigerians not to hand over the mandate of governing a sick country like Nigeria to a sick man, saying “This country is sick and should not be handed over to a sick person.”
Obi stated this at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in continuation of his nationwide campaigns ahead of the February 25 presidential election.
In his words: “This country is sick and should not be handed over to a sick person. I am not saying that anyone is sick. We have been here for over two hours, we don’t want people who can’t stand for 30 minutes,” Obi said in an interactive session with the varsity’s Business School.
He identified character and trust as two cardinal attributes to look out for in the recruitment of leaders to pilot the affairs of the nation for the next four years.
“In the United States during elections, they go for debates. Somebody once asked Barack Obama questions that were personal and he answered. But here in Nigeria, somebody wants to contest elections, we don’t know his real age, we don’t know his name, we don’t know the schools he attended. Nobody knows his real identity and he is pushing to lead everybody.
“My name is Peter Obi. I can say I went to Christ The King College, and went to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Both the VC today, the DVC today, were my schoolmates. We came to university the same year and left the same year. The people I went to school with, I can see them here today, my seniors and my juniors. How come we now have people who do not have classmates? This is very important”
The former Anambra State governor, however, admitted that everybody can’t be educated equally or formally, but everybody’s records must be straight.
“Afe Babalola once told me he never had the opportunity of going to a formal school. There is nothing wrong with that. There are so many people who have done well in life and never went to formal school.
On corruption, he said, “If you say you will fight corruption, let’s go to the road you have passed and see what is remaining there after you left,” stressing that “this year’s election must be based on competence as it requires physical and mental energy. It is not a retirement job.”
