New Telegraph

Peter Obi: I’ll contest 2023 Presidential election, if…

A former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, has given the condition on which he would throw his hat in the ringasregardsthe2023presidential election contest.

 

The Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) vice-presidential candidate in the 2019 election inaninterviewwithTochukwu Ezeoke of Njenje Media, said though he is capable of turning around the fortunes of the country, he would wait on the decision of the PDP beforedeclaring hisintention.

 

He said: “All the elections that I followed in the past, the partythatIbelongtotoday, the PDP made a pronouncement and took a stand. “At least in 2019, when I was involved, where I can say Atiku graciously chose me as his running mate, in whom I remain eternally grateful to him for, the party decided that the candidate should come from the north and that was what the party decided.

 

“And I believe that the party owes it a duty to say what theirstandis. If itstandstoday is the south, be rest assured I  amaspiring, if theysaynorth, I can’t do otherwise or they chose the option that everybody is free, then, of course, you will be hearing from me.”

 

Theformergovernorwhile affirming his commitment to building a better Nigeria, advised all and sundry to choose a candidate who is competent and most importantly has integrity.

 

“What we are looking forin this country today are people of integrity, people of conscience, people who are less greedy. Educational qualification is not a measure of integrity; it doesn’t guarantee that somebody is less greedy or that people have conscience.”

He further added: “I have seen people here acquire what they don’t need. I saw it while I was serving, to fight corruption here, you need somebody who has integrity, who is not greedy, who has conscience.

 

If you have that, fighting corruption is easy, because, if you are not stealing, you will reduce stealing by 50 to 70 per cent. “And it is critical that you have somebody who is like that.

It is not when people are acquiring lands, houses, everything they don’t need; they want to live a lifestyle thatisfarbeyondtheeconomy of Nigeria, far beyond their earnings, thatiswhy theplace is collapsing.

 

“That is why we have insecurity; that is why we have poverty. We need to manage the costs efficiently and these are the critical areas as you people know as you look for people who will govern the country in the future.”

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