I governed as trader, you govern as Professor, Obi replies Soludo

•Says I'm a trader, he is the Professor

•Soludo itching for  limelight — Obi-Datti Campaign organisation

•Comments on Obi, product of selfishness, jealousy, says LP

•We stand with Soludo — Anambra Integrity Group

THE presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has replied Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State, asking him to govern as a professor, since he governed the state as a trader.

Obi  spoke as spokesperson of The Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation, Ndi Kato, also hit at Governor Soludo over his recent article which derided the LP presidential candidate, describing the article as a desperate attempt by Soludo to grab the limelight.

Kato said this yesterday in a written response to Soludo.

Similarly, the National Chairman of LP, Julius Abure, described Governor Soludo's comments as a product of selfishness and jealousy.

However, Pro-Soludo group, the Anambra Integrity Forum, AIG, said it is fully in support of Governor Soludo for his submissions on Obi ahead of the 2023 presidential election

Recall Soludo had during a recent interview programme on Channel TV, alleged that the investment of Obi in Anambra Statewas worth next to nothing today.

The Governor had also in an article on Monday, said Obi knows that he would not win the 2023 presidential election.

But speaking yesterday at the 2022 Lagos Business School, LBS, Alumni Conference in Lagos, the former Anambra governor said he had done his bit as governor, noting that Soludo should do more as a professor

His words: "I am glad to be back to the Lagos Business School. I am deeply grateful for the kind invitation extended to me to speak at the 2022 Lagos Business School (LBS) Alumni Conference. I have been asked to speak on the theme: "Creating an Enabling Environment for Business Nigeria."

On Soludo, he said: "He (Soludo) remains my brother, we are very close. I remain prayerful for him. For other things which I didn't succeed (as governor of Anambra), God has given him the opportunity to do it and succeed.

"So, if there is anything pending, governance doesn't finish, people are still in government even in America. So, you stop where you will stop, other people will continue from there. I have done my little part as a trader, now the professor is there, he will do his part as a professor. 

''The schools I didn't roof, he will roof them, that's how government goes.  The one they said is worthless, we invested N3.5 billionin International Breweries, that facility is there employing directly and indirectly over 10,000 Anambarians. The shares are at a time being sold at N50, today the shares is about N5 or so.

"When you spread your investment, some will go up some will come down but overall, the company is still there, the company is still doing well, it is still part of the global chain and everything. I needed to explain it not because I am defending comments by my brother."

On his programmes and what he intends to do if he emerges the President in next year's election, Obi said: "I am aware that many are called to serve and many are aspiring to this position.  However, in the fullness of time and based on our leadership needs, I pray and hope that I will be given the opportunity to lead Nigeria at a critical juncture in her history.

"My desire is to begin, with all Nigerians, who share this same conviction, is to turn things around, so that we will bring to an end, the incongruity of Nigerian citizens fleeing their richly endowed country or living in it in penury or in fear.

"The overall goal of the Obi-Datti administration, therefore, shall be to streamline governance, make it more responsive, transformative, effective, less transactional, and therefore efficient and cost-effective.

"Although agriculture remains Nigeria's largest and most important sector and employs 60 percent of Nigerians, and contributes an average of 24 percent to the nation's GDP, presently Nigeria is incapable of feeding her population fully; talk less of exporting agricultural produce.

"We will diversify the funding for our national surface transportation system (roads, rail, bridges and mass transit) and programmes with the creation of the Highway Trust Fund Accounts. This account will be funded jointly by Federal Government.

"As a nation, Nigeria must look beyond oil. We, therefore, intend to leapfrog Nigeria from oil to the Fourth Industrial Revolution by expanding physical infrastructure through market-driven reforms that will unleash

"We will deploy properly manned, equipped and technologically driven security system with emphasis on re-focusing the military on external threats, border protection, illegal migration and porosity; and the police on internal security threats,

"First, our focus will be on agriculture and production-centered growth for food security and export, with more emphasis on exporting finished products instead of commodities and raw materials. This relates to mainly food and textiles.

"Thinking through 2023 and beyond, we must think seriously about a leadership that is imbued with competence, capacity, credibility and commitment. Accordingly, we will pursue intangible assets of good governance, rule of law, security of lives and property.

"As a nation, Nigeria must look beyond oil. We, therefore, intend to leapfrog Nigeria from oil to the Fourth Industrial Revolution by expanding physical infrastructure through market-driven reforms that will unleash.''

Obi-Datti Campaign Organisation

Reacting to Soludo's comments, spokesperson of Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation, Ndi Kato, berated the governor for deriding the LP presidential candidate, describing the article as a desperate attempt by Soludo to grab the limelight.

Kato in a written response to Soludo, said: "We read with amusement and dismay, a very lengthy and belaboured treatise of an article, written by Professor Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra State, focused on our presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

"It seems obvious that Professor Soludo is itching for limelight, in this election season, perhaps fired up by possible understanding or alliance with our struggling political opponents.

"While we note the glaring fallacies, misrepresentations, personal insinuations and signs of personal vendetta in that long write-up, neither Peter Obi, The Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Organisation, nor the Labour Party, for that matter, has any interest in an extended engagement with Prof Soludo this critical time when there is a bigger fish to fry.

"Peter Obi has his work well cut-out for him, this campaign season. Primarily, he is accelerating his reach-out and influence to all Nigerians, rural and urban, in all areas, regions and states; and firmly engaging them, on his critical and visionary plans to take the country from consumption to production."

A product of jealousy

Also, reacting, national chairman of LP, Julius Abure, described Governor Soludo's comments as borne out of selfishness and jealousy.

Abure said : "You can see the comment is born out of selfishness, the comment is born out of self centeredness, is born out of desperation, it's born out of envy and jealousy.

"For somebody who was Central Bank Governor who should know the importance of investments which has been acclaimed by all governors to be one of the best that has been done in Anambra State, for such a man to demean such an investment will tell you that he is acting from a selfish point of view.

"Soludo does not have control of the majority of the people of Anambra State. Even Soludo rose on the legacy of Peter Obi because Peter Obi was the first Governor that rose to power through the platform of APGA.''

We stand with Soludo — Anambra Integrity Group 

Meanwhile, Anambra Integrity Forum, AIG, has said it is fully in support of Governor Soludo for his submissions on the 2023 presidential election.

National coordinator of the forum,  Evaristus Nwokoye, and the secretary, Mrs. Chinwe Ifediba, in a statement in Awka, yesterday, said Soludo's verdict on Peter Obi's presidential ambition was not an indication that he was not a patriotic Igbo man or that he hated Peter Obi.

The statement read: "In the history of Nigerian politics, the South East and Ndigbo in general are disposed to support any political party of their choice. Even among the South West, South- South and the entire Northern Nigeria, politicians choose to belong to parties of their choice and there has never been any reason whatsoever to bully those who oppose one another.

"APGA is the third largest political party in Nigeria and Labour Party is a party that has played substitute roles for aspirants who failed to secure nominations in the frontline parties as rightly stated by Soludo. 

"It is on record that Soludo had severally urged Peter Obi to return back to the party that made him, which is APGA but he turned down the offer.

"At this stage, there is no way the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, presidential candidate; Justice Umeadi, would step down for Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party.

"Soludo's appeal to Peter Obi to return back to APGA was with a belief and aim to create a strong political base, to bargain at the centre and negotiate its share on the table of tribes and geopolitical zones in the country.

"In the history of politics in Nigeria, the number of votes so far pulled by the South East, with the least registered voters, has never been enough for any presidential candidate to win or lose a presidential election.

"Ndigbo, as a people, should use APGA as a platform to build the strong force that would take them to the presidency just like Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu used the Alliance for Democracy (AD) to carry the South West into the presidency.

"Against this backdrop, it will be difficult if not a near impossibility for the South East alone to deliver Peter Obi as President. We should also not lose sight of the fact that other regions have homogeneity that cannot be compared with what we have in the South East."

According to the group, the continuous "internet mob action" against the person of Soludo is uncalled for and very unreasonable.  It added that it was time to "urgently discuss on our collective plans to advance the aspirations of the Southeast zone."

Culled from Vanguard