Amaechi slams Obi over statement on Igbo presidency
- The minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has reacted to the statement credited to Peter Obi
- Obi reportedly says Amaechi is not politically relevant to discuss whether Igbo should have the presidency in 2023 or not
- In his reaction, Amaechi say Obi also does not have the the credibility to speak on the matter because he could not win the presidential election
The minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has expressed displeasure over statement credited to Peter Obi that he is not politically relevant to discuss whether Igbo should have the presidency in 2023 or not.
Amaechi said Obi, who was the vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 general elections, also does not have the the credibility to speak on the matter because he could not win the presidential election., Leadership reports.
Legit.ng gathers that the minister spoke on the sidelines of an interactive forum of Maritime Stakeholders in Lagos on Wednesday, May 29.
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He said: “Peter Obi said I’m not an Igbo man and that I don’t have the locus to discuss whether Igbo Presidency will be or not in 2023. That comment is a very sad and cheap one from him.
“But the truth is that Peter Obi too does not have the locus to speak about Igbo Presidency because he and his party couldn’t win the presidential election.
"Asides that, it’s most unfortunate that Peter Obi, a man I defeated to become the Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum(NGF), when we were both governors, can wake up today to say I am not relevant in the polity to talk about national issues when journalists ask me questions about it.”
According to Amaechi, since he became speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly till date, his name has been in the front burner of national politics far more than Peter Obi.
He said: “I think what is important which I have said to the Igbos severally is that they need to be part of National Politics. If they are not part of National Politics they cannot be President.
"National Politics means that an Ikwerre man must have his interest covered by the Igbos if they want to be President. The Yoruba man must have the Igbos cover their interests, the Hausa, Fulani people must also be confident that their interests are covered by the Igbos.”
“I support Igbo Presidency. I believe that it’s the Igbo turn to produce the next President of Nigeria because they have not been there before. The country will be unfair to the Igbos If they say it’s not their turn. But it can’t be your turn and you don’t want to fight for it.
"You want us to wake you up from sleep and say come and take, it is your turn? It doesn’t work like that and It will not work that way. So, Peter Obi should close his mouth. He lost an election which I won and that’s why President Buhari, not Atiku will be sworn-in today as President."
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Meanwhile, a 48-hour general poll conducted by Legit.ng showed that Nigerians want three ministers to be retained.
The three ministers, according to a study of the comments by Nigerians, are: Babatunde Fashola, minister of works, power and housing; Rotimi Amaechi, who is Fashola’s counterpart in the transport ministry and Audu Ogbeh, in charge of agriculture.
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Source: Legit.ng