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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Former Governorship aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in the May 25 primaries, Dr Sampson Orji vowed to support the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi against Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP in 2023 presidential election.
Speaking during a live radio programme “Open Parliament”, monitored in Umuahia, the PDP Chieftain said he would support Obi because of his competence.
Orji said he would mobilise support for Obi not because the Labour Party candidate is his fellow Igbo but because of his antecedents.
He said that asking him to choose between Atiku and Obi, is like asking him to choose between darkness and light, declaring that Obi represents light.
“I’m a PDP man till tomorrow but I will support Peter Obi not because he is Igbo, but because of what he represents. Obi is a movement. My family and friends will vote for Obi. Atiku is my friend but Peter Obi is a better candidate.”
He further argued that apart from competence, equity also favours Obi’s candidature as the South East is the only zone in Southern Nigeria to take its turn at the Presidency.
“Why can’t Atiku support Obi who was his running mate in 2019? I must speak the truth: what are we gaining in PDP that for 16 years it was in power Aba to Port Harcourt Expressway is not passable? You cannot drive from Umuahia to Ikot Ekpene or from Owerri to Umuahia on a good road.
“So, it is blindness to tell me to support Atiku when we have somebody in Peter Obi who has shown competence and capacity to take Nigeria out of the woods. Should I work against him because he’s Igbo?”
Orji, who was a Commissioner in the state, advised the party’s candidate for the Abia South senatotrial race, Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, to step down for the incumbent Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).
He argued that it would be a disservice to the people of Abia South to replace a champion with somebody would would begin to learn the ropes.
According to the former lawmaker, asking him to choose between Gov. Ikpeazu and Senator Abaribe “is like asking one to choose between “experience and lack of experience”.
He said that Abaribe is too experienced to be replaced by a greenhorn, arguing that replacing him with Ikpeazu is like choosing inexperience in place of experience.
