The choice before Nigerians during the 2019 presidential polls — Obi

By: Sandra Nnaemeka

Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi, has called on the electorate to think in the direction of choosing a system that “will start working again, not one that will pull it down.”

Obi spoke in Agulu, Anambra State, on Thursday during a lecture organised by African Community of Transformers themed: “South-East Political Culture: Peter Obi as Paradigm Shift”.

He noted that a working system would tackle national issues like unemployment, “create a new Nigeria that would provide the basic needs of Nigerians, and how to fix the country’s present economic backwardness.”

According to the VP candidate, the February 16 general election is a battle between darkness and light, saying that Nigerians should sieze the opportunity to choose between the two alternatives.

He said: “I agreed to contest with Alhaji Abubakar Atiku because we share the vision of making Nigeria work again.”

Delivering a lecture on the topic, “Nigeria’s Ailing Economy: Focus on Peter Obi Leadership Style”, the lead lecturer and Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof. Chinyere Stella Okunna, described Obi’s emergence on the Nigerian political scene as phenomenal adding that his leadership “was extraordinary and transformational”.

She observed that the secret of Obi’s success in governance was his style of working with a team, identifying needed change, and creation of a vision to guide the change through inspiration.

Okunna said the ex-governor went on to execute the change in line with committed members of his team.

She said: “I agreed with other Nigerians that Obi’s emergence as the vice presidential candidate was one of the best things that had happened to Nigeria.

“Obi’s emergence would be the first time Nigeria shall enjoy a leader that possesses the capacity to achieve extraordinary things.

“He is daring enough to seek transformation; embodies the right values to raise his/her followers to higher levels of morality; possesses the charisma and enthusiasm to inspire and motivate followers to change things; is imbued with vision to guide change in the right direction and possesses the intellectual stimulation to think out lasting solutions.”

Okunna added that the combination of Atiku and Obi had the capacity to solve Nigeria’s teeming problems which include, unemployment militancy, deplorable infrastructure, health, pathetic weakness of the Naira, pervasive poverty, educational challenges and under-performance of the power sector, etc.”