Atiku, Obi, Amaechi, Aregbesola, Attend National Political Consultative Group Meet

*Ex-Anambra gov says nation’s problem can be solved from north

*Jigawa delegates disrupt gathering

Chuks Okocha in Abuja 

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubukar, former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi and former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, yesterday, attended a meeting of the. national political consultative group on the state of the nation.

At the meeting, which took place at the Continental Hotel, Abuja, presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Obi, who was hitherto rooting for a southern president, said Nigeria’s problems could be solved from the North.

Announcing the meeting, Atiku, through his X account, said, ”H.E. Peter Obi and I just arrived at the Abuja Continental Hotel for the National Political Consultative Group (North) event.”

A statement later by the Atiku Media Office, however, listed as others who attended the meeting with the former vice-president, former Governor of Rivers State, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, and former Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

“They were among other political leaders who attended a close door dialogue with the National Political Consultative Group (North) forum at the Abuja Continental Hotel in Abuja on Sunday,” the one-paragraph statement stated.

However, addressing a cross-section of Northern Nigeria leaders, Obi said Northern Nigeria was the future and huge asset of the country.

He told the Northerners. that the issue of crimes and insecurity in the North was a consequence of poverty, adding that the region must invest in education because it was the easiest way to tackle poverty.

Obi maintained that, the North has voted for religion and tribe in the past and this was the time to vote for something else – a time to consider competence and capacity.

Recalling the strength of the North in the past, Obi said as a banker, Kano was the place they came for cash, but today, all the industries in Kano were gone.

Obi also underscored the importance of trust among Nigerians to be able to tackle the myriads of problems away from ethnic and religious sentiments.

 Drawing an inference from some successful agrarian nations like Bangladesh, Netherlands and others, Obi, who spoke amid cheers from the gathering, said Northern Nigeria had more potential than all these other countries but that what was lacking was good governance, good policies and implementation.

Earlier, the immediate past  Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, in a keynote Speech at the gathering, bemoaned the security situation in the North and called for the need to create a platform to rescue the region

Meanwhile, the coalition meeting involving Atiku, Obi, Amaechi, Aregbesola and others descended into chaos as delegates from Jigawa State disrupted the proceedings over representation for Jigawa State.

Tensions rose when former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, announced a delegate to speak for the state.

In protest, several Jigawa delegates stormed the stage, blocking the individual from speaking and insisting they would not be represented by those named.

As the confrontation escalated, security personnel, including members of the Nigerian Police, DSS, and private guards, quickly formed a protective barrier around key figures such as Atiku, Amaechi and others.

Calm was restored after several minutes of appeals, as Mustapha Lamido, son of former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, along with another delegate, was chosen to speak on behalf of the state.