A former National Secretary of Labour Party, Dr. Kayode Ajulo, has said the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, is not prepared to rule the country.
Ajulo, a constitutional lawyer, said Obi’s choice of running mate may be another albatross with respect to his ambition.
The lawyer argued that Obi needs to put together a convincing and achievable manifesto rather than making unrealistic references to nations whose diverse beliefs and cultures are totally at variance with the country.
Ajulo, in a statement, said: “Obi’s manifesto is more of rhetorical analysis than viable plans to solve the myriad of problems (or even one of them) facing this country at this critical time.
“I have listened to Peter Obi at different times since he began his campaigns and I can say that he has not been able to convince discerning Nigerians of his readiness for the job for which he campaigns.
“All he has been saying is what should be done which is not alien to every Nigerian (after all, even the street hawker knows the problem with Nigeria) but has failed to advance any plan about his solutions to resolving those issues in concrete terms and how he intends to do them.
“Obi merely complains, which he and his uncritical followers mistake for a manifesto.
“It would seem that Obi did very little consultations with the northern critical stakeholders in determining the choice of his running mate.
“His running mate, Senator Batti Baba Ahmed is an intelligent and a good man, certainly qualified for the job of even the President but the present situation of the country is not only about looking good on one’s certificates or even in the bank.
“The challenge that has bred economic hardship in Nigeria even in the midst of our plenty should have been a major point of concern before picking his running mate.
“To me, that challenge is the state of insecurity in the country which has risen exponentially in the last decade. I honestly believe that that should be the first thing to consider because nothing can properly work amidst insecurity.”
He frowned at the strategy deployed by Obi’s supporters in marketing his ambition, adding that his years of experience in politics have taught him that mob actions do not translate to genuine support.
“Let me advise Peter Obi as a former National Secretary of the Labour Party. He needs to study the manifestos of the Labour Party to be able to design a well thought out plan.
“He should take a cue from the former Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, who defeated an already established structure of the then incumbent People’s Democratic Party in a keenly contested governorship election within three months of joining the Labour Party”
Ajulo is also of the view that Obi must be able to convince Nigerians that he is totally in control of at least six states outside of his own Anambra State before he can boast of winning the 2023 elections.