Obi: Yar’Adua Once Protected My Mandate, Today’s Leaders Crush Opponents
Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has lamented the state of Nigeria’s democracy, stating that it has deteriorated under the current leadership.
He made this assertion at the 60th birthday celebration and colloquium in honour of Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and ex-governor of Imo State.
Obi compared past administrations to the present one, arguing that while previous leaders made efforts to strengthen democratic institutions, the current leadership has eroded those gains.
“They started in 1999, laid the foundation, some people built on it, trying to raise it to the first floor, but now, everything has been knocked down,” he said. “Nothing works anymore.”
Reflecting on his time as governor of Anambra State, Obi recounted how he emerged through the courts without interference from then-President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
“I did not pay the courts one naira. I was in my office when the court declared me the winner,” he stated. “That cannot happen in Nigeria today.”
He also recalled how, during his impeachment saga, former Senate President Ken Nnamani and others intervened to prevent his removal, emphasizing how former President Obasanjo personally reached out to check on his well-being.
“When I was impeached, Obasanjo called me and asked, ‘Peter, are you okay? Are you safe?’” he said.
Obi further recounted how late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua supported his return to office after the Supreme Court ruled in his favor against Andy Uba.
“Yar’Adua called me from London and insisted I return. He even asked which flight I would take. When I arrived, for the first time, military officers received me at the airport and took me straight to him. Today, the president would do the opposite—he would ask that I not return at all,” Obi lamented.
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