Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe has stated that Nigeria would have been in a better state if Labour Party candidate Peter Obi had won the 2023 presidential election. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Abaribe, who represents Abia South, expressed dissatisfaction with the current administration under President Bola Tinubu, accusing it of fostering nepotism something he believes would not have been a problem under Obi’s leadership.
“If Peter Obi had won, you probably would have seen a better Nigeria than what we are seeing today,” Abaribe said. He argued that Obi would have run a more inclusive government, free from the level of favoritism he claims exists today. “He would not be as nepotistic as this government, he won’t, it’s not in him. That is just who we are, we feel for the other people.”
Abaribe specifically criticized President Tinubu’s appointments, pointing out the disproportionate number of ministers from Ogun State. While many states have one minister, Ogun has four. He argued that this reflects a persistent trend of favoritism that began under former President Muhammadu Buhari and has continued under Tinubu.
The senator also stressed the need for the South-East to take control of its future, as he believes no president has fairly addressed their concerns except Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan. “We cannot continue to wait for fairness from the presidency,” he added.
In response to the arrest of Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed Prime Minister of Biafra in exile, Abaribe welcomed the development. He viewed Ekpa’s arrest in Finland as a crucial step in signaling to violent agitators in Nigeria that such actions would not be tolerated. “Ekpa denied being the Biafran Prime Minister after his arrest. The Igbo have always condemned what he and others like him try to direct from foreign lands,” Abaribe remarked.
Finally, Abaribe suggested that the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), could help reduce violence in the South-East. He believes many engaging in violence under Kanu’s name would lose their cause once he is freed.
