*Says Nigeria cannot afford to have another version of Buhari
Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2021 Anambra election, Valentine Ozigbo, has said 2023 will be a defining moment for Nigeria.
In an article, Ozigbo who said he was formally joining the Obi-dient Movement, said the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, deserved the support of all well-meaning Nigerians.
Ozigbo said few hours earlier he informed the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, of his decision to resign from the PDP and support Peter Obi, adding, “I assured him of my abiding love and respect for him as a father, a leader, and a friend, even as I told him I had to follow my conscience and what I feel is best for Nigeria. We cannot afford to replace Buhari with any version of the same”.
He said: “There comes a defining moment in the life of any country when all people of good conscience must stand up to be counted. Those times offer no middle ground; you are either on the dark side or on the side of the light.
“For Nigeria, 2023 is such a moment. Nigerians will be divided into two classes – those who will work to entrench the forces that have destroyed Nigeria or those warriors of the light who will work to bring justice, equity, and peace to our beloved country. And next year, as we go to the polls to elect a new president, there will be no fences to sit on.”
Lamenting the state of the nation, Ozigbo said: “Under the incumbent president, Nigerians have suffered untold hardships. Never in this country’s storied history has it been decimated and devastated by a government as it has been under General Muhammadu Buhari’s All Progressive Congress (APC).
“Our economy has practically crumbled before our eyes. Disunity and suspicion now define the fabric of our country. Obscene levels of corruption and looting continue to dominate our news headlines. Terrorists, bandits, robbers, kidnappers, ritualists, and cultists now operate openly and without fear of law enforcement. Infrastructure across the country has been left to decay. Our social safety systems have all collapsed.
“All over Nigeria – from Abuja to Akure, from Bauchi to Benin, from Daura to Degema, from Enugu to Epe, from Jos to Jalingo, from Sokoto to Sapele, from Kaduna to Koko, from Nsukka to Numan, from Maiduguri to Makurdi, from Yola to Yenagoa – from North to South, it doesn’t matter where you choose, Nigerians are living under the siege of criminals, the siege of poverty, the siege of a collapsing nation. Nigerians have lost the zeal for life, and violation of human lives is the new normal.”
Noting that the APC government has failed and has pushed Nigeria to the brink, Ozigbo said “2023 election is existential, and we must make deliberate and conscious choices.
“When we vote in February, we will have two clear options before us. Either we sustain the old corrupt brigade, an inept and outmoded class of politicians running on naked ambition and a raw desire for power, or we turn away from our past and embrace the new possibilities of a bright future,” he added.
He called on all Nigerians to join hands with the Obi-dient Movement as its works to transform the promise and dreams of Nigeria into reality.
Ozigbo said: “Peter Obi is the Nigerian politician I have the utmost respect for. Having worked with him closely during my governorship campaign in 2021, I can attest that Obi is a thoughtful, kind, and generous leader who seeks excellence in all he does. After spending many months working with this phenomenal human, I am convinced that he has an abiding love for Nigeria and all Nigerians. He has the right vision for this country, the temperance, and the capacity and experience to take Nigeria out of these troubled waters and lead us to a land of promise.
“I acknowledge the brilliant choice of His Excellency Peter Obi’s running mate, Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed. Together, this is an unbeatable presidential ticket, and they deserve the support of all well-meaning Nigerians.
“Pulled by the brilliance of the candidacy of Peter Obi and Yusuf Datti, inspired by the passion of the Nigerian youth, and driven by an undying love for Nigeria, I, Valentine Ozigbo, at this moment, formally join the Obi-dient Movement.”
