Fides Media Living the Faith
By Jude Atupulazi
The Nigerian Consultative Forum (NCF) has asked the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to nominate the former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, as its flag-bearer in the 2023 Presidential Election if it hopes to win.
The socio-economic and human rights group, in a statement made available to newsmen in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, last weekend, said Obi was most qualified among the top contenders for the post of the president in his party.
In the statement which was signed by Dede Uzor A Uzor, NCF said if PDP wanted to clinch the 2023 Presidential Election, they should slate and endorse Obi as the standard-bearer and take either Governors Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State or Bala Muhammed of Bauchi, as his running mate.
The group said Obi’s frugal management of resources, his skill in economic management and developmental acumen, which, it noted, were on display when he was the governor of Anambra State, were what Nigeria needed now to negotiate herself out of the current national economic trauma.
NCF also said that Obi had the capacity to bring to an end the present security situation bedeviling the country.
The group further maintained that it was the turn of the South East to produce the President of Nigeria now and that Obi was among the most qualified from the pack of aspirants being paraded by the zone.
The group said, ‘PDP has no option than to pick Obi as its standard-bearer on the basis of consensus as already canvassed by some prominent members of the party. No other candidate can deliver PDP except Obi.
‘Obi, whether in power or out of power, has shown leadership skills and capacity. As Anambra State governor, he built over 500kms of roads in the state.
‘The superlative performance of Obi as a governor is yet to be equalled by any other governor. His prudence in financial matters, empowerment of thousands of youths, introduction of free education to junior secondary schools with computers and other reading equipment, even out of office, are second to none.
Meanwhile the group has slammed the high cost of presidential nomination forms by the two major political parties in the country.
PDP fixed the cost of its form for N40m, while the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) fixed its nomination form for N100m.
This has generated wide condemnations for the APC by many Nigerians who accused them of shutting out credible but not too rich members who wanted to vie for the presidency or any political position in the party.
NCF said the huge cost of nomination form amounted to boosting corruption among the political class in the country.
The NCF regretted that the political offices in the country were now for the highest bidders, noting that it portended grave danger to the political development of the country.