Group: Obi’s Consumption to Production Mantra Unsettling Old Politicians

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

A group, Diasporans for Good Governance (DGG) has said that the mantra of the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi’s campaign to move Nigeria from a consuming nation to a producing nation was unsettling a lot of old politicians.

The group said people who belong to the ‘old order’, who had benefited from the consumption nature of the country were not happy with Obi and would go to any length to stop his presidential ambition.

In a jointly signed press statement, conveners of the group, including: Johnny Obika, Ben Opara, Franklin Nwakor, Mike Okaka and Camillus Konkwo, alleged that oil mogul and famous philanthropist, Prince Arthur Eze was one of those unhappy with the attempt to change Nigeria.

In the statement which was made available to THISDAY, in Awka, Anambra State, the group chided Eze over comments about him asking Obi to jettison his presidential ambition.

“When Peter Obi started talking about turning Nigeria from consumption to production, we knew that those who profit from Nigeria’s dysfunctional rentier system will fight hard to retain the status quo. These are people of the establishment who thrive on such scams like subsidy.

“The people have however resolved to take their destiny into their hands. That’s why the masses are flocking to Peter Obi who represents the new order and the light that will guide them out of darkness. It is only logical that agents of darkness will lament about the regime of light.

“His (Eze’s) latest attack on Obi is only an attempt to sustain the stranglehold on Nigeria which they have turned into the poverty capital of the world.”
The group said Eze as a private citizen has the right to support whoever he wished to, but does not have the power to ask Obi to resign from the race, or even urge others not to support him.

Eze had during a speech on December 24, 2022, at the palace of Igwe Robert Eze, the traditional ruler of Ukpo kingdom claimed that he had had told Obi during a private visit to perish his thoughts of being president of Nigeria.

The Chairman of Oranto Group had been condemned for his utterances, with many describing him as irrelevant in politics, as he has never been able to make a governor in his home state, let alone a Nigerian president.