Obi on CNN, says Nigeria pushed to last stage of collapse by politics of ethnicity, ‘my turn’

By our reporter| The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, Friday, decried the political structure in Nigeria that in the past produced leaders based on ethnicity, religion, and entitlement mentality.

Obi, who stated this during an interview on CNN, said Nigerians, going forward need to be deliberate about electing good leaders as the country is at the last stage of collapsing.

The former Anambra state governor told his interviewer that Nigeria is a “mess”, adding that politics of “my turn”, as well as politicians who promote ethnicity and religion are keeping Nigeria “underdeveloped”.

“That is what it was yesterday. And that is our problem, because we have been able to elect people based on ethnicity, religion, ‘my turn’, connection, or one form of bias or the other, which brought us to where we are – or structure, which I always say is structure of criminality,” he said.

“That is what we want to dismantle now and ensure that the next election is based on character, capacity, competence, commitment to do the right thing.

“Nigeria is not just in a physical mess; it is at the last stage to collapsing. The people in the north don’t have a secured place; they don’t have good roads; they don’t buy bread cheaper than people in the south. So [it is with] people in the south.

“All you hear about ethnicity, religion, connection, ‘my turn’ is elite conspiracy to keep Nigeria underdeveloped. But now, we have reached the edge. We can no longer continue this way.”