Former Kogi West Senatorial District lawmaker Dino Melaye has claimed that Peter Obi cannot become Nigeria’s president because he is, in his view, a “regional champion.”
Melaye made the remark while speaking on the KAA Truths podcast on Thursday, where he compared Obi with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate.
According to Melaye, while Obi is a good man and someone he respects, he lacks the national political reach required to win the presidency.
“Atiku is a nationalist. Obi is a regional champion. It may sound awkward. It may sound offensive but Obi is a good man and he’s my friend. I have respect for him but he’s a regional champion and no regional champion in this country will ever be president,” he said.
Melaye acknowledged that his assessment could be considered offensive but said it reflected his understanding of Nigeria’s political dynamics.
He cited the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo as another prominent politician whose regional political identity, in his assessment, limited his chances of winning the presidency.
“Awolowo, fantastic man, brilliant, exquisite, cosmopolitan, leader par excellence but he was a regional champion. He contested for the presidency of this country, he could only win convincingly only in the Southwest, because he’s not a nationalist in that regard of politics,” Melaye added.
