* Promises to transform Nigeria into a productive economy
The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has urged Nigerians to shun primordial considerations in the choice of leaders in the 2023 elections.
Obi made the appeal on Tuesday, during an interactive session with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CBN) in Abuja. He also expressed concern about the country’s security challenges.
The LP candidate promised to transform Nigeria into a productive country if elected president next year.
Obi said: “We must secure and unite the country. When you secure the country, you are able to bring farmers to return to the farm. That alone will start addressing food inflation.
“By moving the country from consumption to production you are moving people away from poverty. The more you pull people out of poverty, the more you address criminality.
“Nigeria now has 13.8 percent drug prevalence against the global average of 5 percent. To deal with that crisis is production. We need to feed ourselves.
“Next year’s elections should not be based on tribe. If it is by tribe the North would have been safer and more developed.
“Yes we must all respect the issue of religion, but even at that, we should not follow people blindly because of religion. We cannot use the process of yesterday or those who did not solve it yesterday for tomorrow.
“I want to pull young people with so much energy and talent. I want to invest in them because they can change the world. That is what I want. I believe I can solve these problems.
“I am not going to give excuses. The work of a leader is not to give excuses. I am not going to complain. It is not the job of a leader. I am not going to complain about the past. You are hiring for the future and I am going to be for the future.”