There is nowhere in Nigeria where a Muslim buys cheaper bread because he is a Muslim or a Christian. Our economic problems arising from poor leadership does not discriminate on basis of religion or tribe. There is no separate electricity for a Christian or Muslim, everyone is suffering the same thing.”
He said this on Thursday night, November 3, 2022, during a virtual meeting with all his support groups.
Responding to a question from a convener of one of support groups, Obi said that all Nigerians, irrespective of religion, are facing the same problems.
He stated: “There is nowhere in Nigeria where a Muslim buys cheaper bread because he is a Muslim or a Christian. Our economic problems arising from poor leadership does not discriminate on basis of religion or tribe. There is no separate electricity for a Christian or Muslim, everyone is suffering the same thing.”
He, however, assured that he will provide quality leadership needed to move the country forward if elected as the President of Nigeria in 2023.
“I have said it repeatedly, don’t vote for me because of where I come from. Vote for me because of what am offering. I am the most qualified in this presidential race not because of where I come from but because of what I am coming with, what I can offer.
“My antecedents, my qualifications, I have been tested with power and I left a mark, the only Governor in Nigerian history who finished eight years left money, built infrastructure, owed no contractor or salary or pension. I have been to the best schools in the World, acquired enormous knowledge for leadership challenges. I am a businessman and in it I left records.”
Speaking to his northern supporters, he said that as president, he would ensure that the enormous potentials in the region are tapped and harnessed.
He said: “With what I have in mind for the north, the region will forever remain grateful because I am going to change the region. We need to cultivate arable land there. ”
Obi noted that despite its sons being in power for 47 out of 62 years, the region still remains impoverished and underdeveloped.
“What that means is that who is in power whether your tribesman or your religion is not the solution but the capacity and competence of the person.
“Very distinguished and respected Nigerians from the North have ruled this country but if you go to Nigeria today, the ten poorest states are from the region, the region has the most unemployed youth, out of school children, and the worst school kidnapping record globally”, he said.
Citing an example with the Central Mosque in London worth millions of pounds in value which was donated by the Queen of England who is not a Muslim and the huge Catholic Church built by the Emir of Dubai who is not a Christian, he argued that religion and ethnicity only become problems when mismanaged.
Obi hailed Nigerian students for their enormous role in the Obi-Datti movement, saying, “To Nigerian students, you will never regret being part of this movement, you can never regret being part of taking back of Nigeria I assure you.”
35,854 Nigerians registered for the zoom meeting with support group.