Premium Times NG
Days before the controversial diatribe against the LP candidate, Mr Soludo had, on Thursday, while appearing as a guest on Channels TV’s Politics Today, said the value of investments made by Mr Obi while he was the governor of the state was “worth next to nothing”.
Several people, believed to be supporters of the LP candidate, attacked Mr Soludo for the comments.
However, in the statement on Monday, the governor, apparently enraged by the attacks, said he stood by his words.
He criticised Mr Obi for rebuffing entreaties to return to All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and pick up the party’s 2023 presidential ticket.
He subsequently predicted that the LP candidate would not win the 2023 election.
Mr Soludo accused Mr Obi’s supporters of “bullying everyone who expresses the slightest of dissent.”
The LP candidate has since responded to Mr Soludo’s attacks against him.
Apart from Mr Soludo’s prediction that Mr Obi will not win the election, here are other key takeaways from the diatribe:
Soludo, though sympathetic to Atiku, predicts victory for Tinubu
One key point in Mr Soludo’s statement was his prediction that the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu, would win the 2023 general election.
He was silent on the chances of Peter Umeadi, the candidate of his party, APGA, in the election.
He sounded angry that Mr Obi’s growing popularity would negatively affect the South-east’s support for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Mr Soludo appeared to have sympathy for PDP’s candidate, Mr Atiku. He is apparently hoping that the PDP could reward the region’s support with an “Igbo ticket” in subsequent elections.
The governor is worried that Mr Obi’s popularity would not secure him victory but would only “waste” the South-east’s chance of taking a shot at the presidency.
He believes Mr Obi’s candidacy is distracting South-east from supporting PDP, and that it would cut away votes that could go to Mr Atiku, and, therefore, would pave the way for Mr Tinubu to win the election.
Obi rattling Nigeria’s political space
Although Mr Obi is not the only presidential candidate from the South-east, he has become the target of attacks lately from supporters and candidates of opposition political parties.
His reputation for frugality and prudent management of state resources appear to have attracted a horde of supporters for the former governor ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
Mr Obi’s opponents are disturbed that the LP candidate’s growing popularity could be a big threat to their victory in the 2023 polls.
He has, arguably, become the much talked about presidential candidate in Nigeria today.
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