A former minister of education, Dr. Obi Ezekwesili, stated that both the PDP and the current government, the All Progressives Congress (APC), have committed contempt against Nigeria.
According to her, the APC’s choice to introduce a Muslim-Muslim ticket for the 2023 election does not accurately represent Nigeria’s diversity.
She also said that the PDP disregarded its own constitution’s zoning provisions by choosing a candidate from the North, which was a breach of respect.
In an interview that aired on Channels Sunday Politics on Sunday night, she stated that the supposed “contempt” shown by the two major parties was increasing support for Labour Party candidate Mr. Peter Obi.
“When you know that clearly the time of the people from the South East as you designed it to be is now and you just upstaged that and yet you have the arrogance to be saying to them that they have no reason to complain because this is the season of character, competence and capacity.
“That’s sophistry because if you are going to use character, competence and capacity, then many of them don’t qualify to be the one saying, ‘we should be the one running because within the South East, they could have found people with the character, competence and capacity and by the way Peter Obi who is now the candidate of Labour Party was in your party. So if you really needed character, competence and capacity in a way that is just, in a way that is equitable, in a way that is inclusive in your PDP, you could have made Peter Obi become your candidate.”
According to her, many Muslims from the North and the South claimed that the APC and PDP made a mistake in their choice of flag bearers, adding that the Peter Obi movement was not an Igbo affair.
“Before people begin to say this is an Igbo thing. It’s not true. I have so many people from the North, people who are Muslims, people from the South who are Muslims who simply say that it is not proper that the two dominant parties acted the way they did. So, a lot of that is also fuelling the kind of support that Peter Obi is receiving.”
Based on her opinion, the APC’s pairing of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a Muslim, as its presidential candidate with Senator Kashim Shettima, another Muslim as the running mate “is like being contemptible of a segment of the population.”
Ezekwesili however cautioned that the ruling politicians would take whatever measure to remain in power in the next election and adviced the electoral umpire to ensure they act ethically.
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