Abaribe: Nigeria Would Be Better If Peter Obi Had Won 2023 Election

The senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, believes Nigeria would be experiencing better governance if Labour Party’s Peter Obi had won the 2023 presidential election. Speaking on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Monday, Abaribe particularly criticized what he sees as nepotism in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

“If Peter Obi had won, you probably would have seen a better Nigeria than what we are seeing today,” Abaribe stated. “Number one, he would not be as nepotistic as this government; he won’t; it’s not in him. That is just who we are; we feel for the other people.”

The lawmaker pointed to the distribution of ministerial appointments as evidence of favoritism, questioning the concentration of positions in certain regions. “How can Ogun state have four ministers? Why does he favour Ogun state? Oyo state has only one minister,” he noted, adding that “The nepotism of Buhari, which nobody followed, has now deepened under President Tinubu because Buhari did it, and nobody said much. I was the only person shouting.”

Reflecting on historical treatment of the South-East region, Abaribe suggested that the zone should focus on self-development rather than relying on federal consideration. “It’s obvious that if we continue to look at whoever becomes president, they will look at us and do us right. Apart from Obasanjo and maybe Jonathan, I do not think that we have seen that same type of fairness,” he observed.

The senator also addressed other regional issues, including the recent arrest of Simon Ekpa in Finland and expressed support for the release of detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu as a potential solution to ongoing violence in the South-East.