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Former governor of old Anambra State in the second republic, Chief Jim Nwobodo, has claimed it would be easier for the presidency of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to make an Igbo man President.
Nwobodo made this claim while reacting to the emergence of the former Vice President said Atiku was the best man for the job of fixing Nigeria.
Speaking reprters in Abuja, the elder statesman observed that Atiku was a detribalised Nigerian who has a sense of fairness, equity and justice.
Atiku’s emergence as the PDP flag bearer in the presidential race has brought a lot of dimension. It is clearer to me now that PDP will win because of Atiku’s experience. He has been on this for a long time. This is his third or fourth time and I don’t see how anybody else, any other candidate will beat Atiku.
‘I am talking about Igbo presidency but the Igbo presidency will come only through PDP. You see, in party politics, there are always two big political parties usually. If you go to Britain, there are two big political parties. If you go to America, two big political parties, the rest are there. So, in Nigeria there are two big political parties and we have captured one. So, Igbo presidency will still come.
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‘The presidency of Nigeria is a very complex thing, so we need somebody who is experienced, who has suffered and who has seen it all. Mind you, Atiku has been a vice president before how many years ago and he did well. He tried the first time, it didn’t go through. He tried the second time, it didn’t go through, this time around he is trying and I believe that through him, we will get the Igbo presidency, get Igbo president. I have no doubt, I have just absolute confidence in him, his ability to make things work.
‘No, Atiku is a Nigerian to the core and he has a keen and fair sense of justice and fair playing. You see, when you are dealing with somebody, you are picking him because he has a keen and fair sense of justice, so even if it doesn’t come now, it will come and he was also a founder of the party, I am also a founder of the party. Most of us who are founders are no longer around but I am a founder of the PDP, and he is a founder of PDP.’
Nwobodo who also remarked that Ndigbo were marginalised by the Buhari led administration also doubted if the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC will give the South East region an opportunity at the presidency.
‘Under Buhari the Igbos have suffered. Under APC this is the worst we’ve had. No, I am not saying that but I believe that it (Igbo presidency) is more likely to come within the PDP than APC. I have very good friends in APC but tell me one Igbo man whose name has been sounded in APC’, he demanded.
Asked if he felt the exit of the former governor of Anambra State and presidential aspirant, Peter Obi from the PDP, Nwobodo who also a Senator between 1999 and 2003 said he never wanted him to leave the party.
‘Of course I was very sad, I called him and said why did you leave the PDP? He said one or two things happened and I said no, he should have waited for me, he should have spoken with me, I would have advised him not to leave. The beauty of politics is being able to absolve, at times insults, you absolve but you have your eyes on the ball and I blame him for going, he should never have left because if Obi were there, Atiku will have no problem in picking him as his deputy, vice.
He said it was not possible for Obi to win the presidency in another party.
How can he emerge, which Labour Party? As I have told you, in every country where democracy is practiced, there are always too important parties. In America, republican and democrats, in Britain is labour and conservatives, in Nigeria is PDP and APC. So tell me in all these countries that I have mentioned when somebody from somewhere, from another smaller party came and became the president”, he said.
