A former Anambra State Governor and the 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has condemned the current wave of defection politics sweeping through Nigeria’s political landscape.
This is as Obi slammed politicians for focusing on what he described as personal gain over public good
The former Governor also criticized politicians for engaging in what he described as a mercenary approach to politics, prioritizing party switching for convenience, rather than adhering to clear ideological platforms.
Obi stated this in Abuja while reacting to the recent defection of Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and his Bayelsa counterpart, Douye Diri, to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
“The people will decide where to go, not governors or senators. No party will capture or win any state just because it has a governor,” Obi said.
“Peter Mbah is a good friend of mine, and I believe that as governor, he must have taken his decision based on his own political views and calculations.”
Obi dismissed the notion that the South-East could be “captured” politically, insisting that leadership in a democracy is about persuasion, not coercion.
“As for the alleged plot to capture the South-East, we are not in a military time when you capture people.
“You are a leader. You tend to do the right things for them to follow you. So I don’t think anybody is capturing anywhere.
“The government needs to do more if it wants the people to support it,” he added.
