Democracy is "knocked down" in Nigeria - Peter Obi.
The 2023, Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi has criticised the power of the form of government being operated in Nigeria. In his speech, he stated that democracy in Nigeria has been "knocked down" while referencing the suspension given to Siminalayi Fubara, the suspended Governor of Rivers State.
Obi stated this on Monday in Abuja during a ceremony organised in honour of the Governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha, which happens to be celebrating his 60th birthday anniversary.
His reaction came in as his own view over President Bola Tinubu's declaration of State of emergency in Rivers State as a result of political crisis and vandalization of the state's oil facilities. With regards to that, President Tinubu gave a six months suspension Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all house of assembly members, appointing retired Vice-Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as the state’s sole administrator.
When he was asked why he thinks so, Obi explained: “Well, if you look at what Bishop Kukah said, he said it’s work in progress. Let me follow my brother when he said about 1999. If you look at where we are today, they started in 1999, laid the foundation. Some people came and took it to a decking and some people were trying to raise it to the first floor.
“And some people came and knocked everything down. That’s the situation we are in now. Everything has been knocked down. Nothing works.”
Obi also recalled how he became Anambra State Governor through the Courts without any interference.
“I became a governor through the courts when President Obasanjo and Atiku were in government. I did not pay the court one naira. I was sitting in my house in the office and the court declared me winner. When a governor isn’t hosting them, it can’t happen in Nigeria today.
“When I was being impeached, the president sent people to intervene on my behalf. Ken Nnamani came, begging house people not to impeach me. Today, the president impeaches the person. So that is the thing. So it’s collapsed. So it’s failed. They were begging my house not to impeach me. And they were at PDP. I was in APGA. And they were begging.
“President was calling me and said, Peter, are you okay? Even when I was impeached, President Obasanjo called me and said, are you okay? Are you safe? When I got back from the court, when court eventually declared me under Andy Uba, President Yar’Adua called my phone in London and said, congrats. I said, President, can’t come back because you know if I come back, this people—he said, tell me the flight in which you’re coming back. And I told him.
“When I came in the first time, military people came to receive me at the airport. I couldn’t believe it and took me straight to him. Now the president will ask me not to come back here again. So it failed. Let’s not talk about, let’s talk about how we are going to rebuild it. It’s collapsing.”
