Akpabio Taunts Obi: Solve LP Crises Before Contesting For Presidency

Senate President Godswill Akpabio took a swipe at former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi on Thursday, advising him to focus on resolving the internal issues within his party before setting his sights on leading Nigeria.

Akpabio made the remark during the Valedictory Session held in honor of the late Niger Delta elder statesman and former Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark. He suggested that Obi’s focus on national issues would be more effective if he first demonstrated leadership within his own party, which has been embroiled in prolonged leadership crises.

“If you cannot even resolve the crisis in that Labour Party, is it the crisis of Boko Haram that you will come and resolve in Nigeria?” Akpabio asked pointedly. “Those who are aspiring as presidential candidates should stop using social media to sow division. Tell them to fix the small party they have before dreaming of governing the entire country.”

Senate President Godswill Akpabio contrasted Peter Obi’s record with his own achievements in governance, highlighting his accomplishments in infrastructure development, investments in health and education, and efforts to promote religious unity during his tenure as governor. Akpabio emphasized that his leadership had contributed significantly to the growth and development of his state, suggesting that Obi should focus on similar local accomplishments before aspiring for national leadership.

“I can tell you about the dualised roads in my city, the international hospitals, free and compulsory education, and the unity I brought by sponsoring thousands to Jerusalem and Mecca,” he said. “Let those who want to rule Nigeria start by fixing what’s in their hands.”

Akpabio’s remarks were a response to Peter Obi’s comments made a day earlier during his tribute to Chief Edwin Clark, where Obi stated that the sacrifices of Nigeria’s past heroes had been in vain. The former Anambra governor highlighted the deteriorating economic and social conditions in the country as evidence of the failure to honor those sacrifices. Akpabio’s counter, focused on Obi’s party’s internal struggles, was aimed at urging the Labour Party candidate to address these issues before critiquing the broader national situation.

“We say the labour of our heroes past should not be in vain, but it is. People protested fuel price hikes under Jonathan, now that fuel is N900, they are silent,” Obi lamented.

In response to Peter Obi’s comments questioning the credibility of the upcoming September 21, 2024, governorship election in Edo State, Governor Monday Okpebholo strongly rebuked the former presidential candidate. Describing Obi’s remarks as “unfounded and disrespectful,” Okpebholo, through his Chief Press Secretary Fred Itua, emphasized that the election would be conducted with transparency and fairness, upholding the highest standards. Okpebholo’s statement was a defense of the election process, aiming to reassure the public and dispel any doubts about its integrity.

“Mr. Obi’s comments are baseless and appear to be politically motivated,” the statement read. “We urge him to respect the mandate given by Edo people and contribute positively to democratic discourse, not undermine it.”

Okpebholo warned that the peace and stability of Edo State must not be compromised by “reckless and divisive rhetoric.”