Enyinnaya Abaribe, senator representing Abia South, has said that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election would have made a better president than Bola Tinubu.
According to the former senate minority, Nigeria would have been better off than what it is today if Obi had emerged victorious in 2023.
Abaribe who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, noted that nepotism which, according to him, thrives under President Bola Tinubu, would have been non-existent under an Obi presidency.
“If Peter Obi had won, you probably would have seen a better Nigeria than what we are seeing today," he said.
“Number one, he would not be as nepotistic as this government, he won’t, it’s not in him. That is just who we are, we feel for the other people.”
Backing his nepotism claim against the President, the lawmaker questioned Tinubu’s appointment of four ministers from only Ogun State when many other states have just one.
According to Abaribe, Buhari towed the path of nepotism, but it deepened under President Tinubu because Buhari did it and nobody said much except him.
He said that rather than waiting for presidents to be fair to the people of the South-East, it is high time people of the zone went back to revamp it, make it more livable, better and more cohesive.
Abaribe noted that apart from Obasanjo and Jonathan, no president has been fair to the people and that the people cannot continue to wait for that.
Speaking on the arrest of the self-acclaimed Prime Minister of Biafra in exile, Simon Ekpa, in Finland, Abaribe described it as a welcome development.
He said the arrest of Ekpa will signal to the people at home who are purveyors of violence and are being instigated by the Finland-based Biafra agitator that he denied being the Biafran Prime Minister after his arrest.
The Senator added that the Igbo had always condemned what Ekpa and his ilk try to direct from foreign lands.
Senator Abaribe also said that the violence in the South-East can be brought to an end when Nnamdi Kanu is released. He said that many of those perpetrating violence with Kanu’s name won’t have any reason to continue when Kanu is released.
Request for presidential jet not brought to NASS
Abaribe also disclosed that nobody approached the National Assembly with a request for a new presidential jet before the purchase was eventually made.
The Presidency had in August unveiled a new Airbus A330 purchased for President Bola Tinubu.
Following the new jet purchase, the Presidency faced many criticisms from Nigerians who felt the President prioritized his luxury while neglecting the economic hardship faced by the masses, with some also blaming the national assembly for approving the purchase.
But Abaribe said such a request was never brought to the National Assembly.
“I am in the National Assembly, but I can tell you for a fact that nobody, quote me, nobody brought anything to the National Assembly to say please approve this for purchase of a new plane," he said
“It was done without my knowledge, nobody brought anything. I never saw any document and I have always been in the National Assembly. Ask anyone, none.”
He said that the failure of the Presidency to approach the National Assembly with a request meant that part of the job of the legislator to be a check on the executive was not being efficiently carried out.
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