Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, says he is not interested in joining any coalition solely focused on seizing power.
Obi spoke on Monday on the sidelines of the national conference on strengthening democracy in Nigeria held in Abuja.
The LP chieftain said politicians should think of the future of Nigeria and how to develop and grow the country rather than focus on merely grabbing power.
Following the outcome of the 2023 presidential poll, some politicians have been strategising to form a coalition ahead of the 2027 election.
“For me, what is important is: let’s discuss Nigeria,” Obi said when asked if he would join a coalition.
“Whether we are going to do coalition (or not)… let’s talk about the future of the country. But often we abandon the country and begin to talk about power grab.
“I’m not interested in any coalition for the purpose of taking power. It is about discussing Nigeria. How do we care about securing the Nigerians?
“How do we care about the common person in Nigeria? How do we care about our children being in school? That is the most important thing for now.”
Obi said all hands must be on deck to make Nigeria work, noting that monetisation of politics should be addressed to discourage the stealing of public money.
“Because if I steal it and use it to win an election, then I get all the power and everything, including immunity not to be prosecuted,” he said.
“So, we must stop it. That is what is driving the stealing.
“It is now time for us to take action because you can see where it brought us to. We now live in an insecure country.
“We now live in a country that is everyday breeding poverty. People are suffering. So, many people don’t know where their next meal will come from.”(The Cable)
