The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDRC), ahead of next year’s election, Peter Obi, has said that in spite of what the former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, said, none of the major opposition figures seeking to unseat President Bola Tinubu next year have the capacity to improve Nigeria; he remains his ally and brother.
The former Anambra State governor said that none of the views of Datti Baba-Ahmed can diminish their brotherhood, saying that they may differ politically, including over the direction Nigeria’s future should take, but said that those differences will never make him and Datti enemies.
Baba-Ahmed had, in a recent statement, expressed concern over the depth of Nigeria’s systemic problems, arguing that no single individual could rescue the country.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the ADC and Peter Obi are the leading opposition figures in the race for the presidency next year.
In a statement on Tuesday by the Spokesman of Peter Obi Media Office, Idris Zekeri noted that the 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party made the remarks when he was asked to respond to his former vice-presidential running mate’s decision to include him among those considered unfit to rescue Nigeria, saying that his response was heartfelt and disarming.
According to the statement, the NDC presidential candidates said, “I do not believe that my dear brother Datti spoke sincerely. My relationship with him extends beyond politics, and I do not believe he intended to describe me as unfit; I sincerely question that interpretation. We have shared a journey profound enough that I cannot imagine him truly viewing me in that way.
“He once stood with me as my running mate, partner, and brother in the struggle to build a better Nigeria. He knows that we won the election. He may view me differently today, and I respect his right to hold his opinions and convictions. However, he also knows that I will never permit political differences to erase the bond of brotherhood between us. I will always speak of Datti with respect.
“Despite everything that has been said, he remains my brother and my ally. In my view, none of this is sufficient to diminish our brotherhood. We may differ politically, including over the direction Nigeria’s future should take, but I believe those differences will never make us enemies. Why? Nigeria has wounded each of us in different ways. What Nigeria needs now is not deeper resentment among brothers but reconciliation, mutual understanding, and people prepared to place the nation above personal grievances.
“Datti remains my beloved brother, and no political disagreement can change that. I believe, in my heart, that he feels the same way. The time will come when we can sit together once more, not as former allies or political adversaries, but simply as brothers who contributed to Nigeria’s progress. Brotherhood must endure beyond politics, and I hope ours always does.
“Nigeria’s circumstances are deeply frustrating and can bring people to despair or prompt unexpected remarks, but this period will certainly pass as a new Nigeria emerges that is possible and O-K emerges and moves forward.”
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