By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections has called out critics who were not just vociferous but vehement in their attacks on former President Goodluck Jonathan during his reign as Nigeria’s helmsman.
Obi maintained that the silence of these once-vocal critics, in the face of the worsening situations in the country is not just disturbing but also complicit.
The ex-Anambra governor made this known in his post on his official X account on Thursday.
According to the post, Obi made the posted remarks after attending the memorial lecture in honour of elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, alongside former President Goodluck Jonathan and ex-Head of State Yakubu Gowon.
He stressed that those who championed vigorous protests against fuel and food price hikes under Jonathan, have been uncharacteristically quiet under the Tinubu administration.
He stated, “I asked some very vital rhetorical and reflective questions, like what has suddenly happened to the protesting voices in this country, where are those who, in 2012/13, protested vigorously when increases in fuel, exchange rate, food and transport prices were moderate and manageable under President Jonathan.“Where are those who called President Jonathan all sorts of names, “Clueless, corrupt, ineffective and lifeless government”? Where are they now that the Prices of everything have increased tenfold?”, Obi said
Obi also decried Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, poverty and institutional decay.
“We are also losing innocent lives daily through insecurity, poverty, poor healthcare, and avoidable hardship. This is not the Nigeria our founding heroes envisioned.
“We must not reduce their sacrifices to mere ceremonial tributes. The best way to honour Chief Edwin Clark and others like him is to restore integrity in governance, rebuild trust in our public institutions, and ensure that truth and justice are the foundations of our national journey.
“Nigeria must work for all Nigerians, not just for a privileged few,” he said.
