An ex-deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Mukhtar Shagari, has opened up on why he rejected the offer to be a running mate to Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, in the 2023 general election.
According to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain, Obi cannot win the presidential election.
Shagari said this when he appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, insisting that the Labour Party candidate stands no chance in the forthcoming polls.
“The Labour party contacted me and requested if I would like to be the Vice Presidential candidate to Peter Obi,” the PDP chieftain said.
“And I looked at the political scenario, what Labour party is, and decided that I cannot be the Vice Presidential candidate to Peter Obi.
“I do not see the path through which Peter Obi will win the election in this country.
“It is so clear that in areas in the South-East, and young people are shouting about him on social media – yes, it’s politics.
“But the truth of the matter is that there are two dominant parties in this country – APC and PDP. If you want to become President, I think you must belong to one of them.”
Peter Obi has emerged one of the top contenders for the Nigerian number one political seat with polls from different notable platforms tipping him to emerge President in 2023.
Obi is enjoying a wide range of support from Nigerians, especially the youths, both on social media and major streets in the country.
Meanwhile, the tense political atmosphere is visible in the camps of the leading presidential candidates – Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
It has been observed that supporters of these frontline presidential candidates had increased the intensity of their verbal attacks towards each other.
Festus Keyamo, who serves as Minister of State for Labour and Spokesman of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Council had last week likened Atiku to a conductor applying for a driver’s job.
And Atiku’s camp, through his Media Aide, Paul Ibe, returned the attack, likening Tinubu to a drug baron applying to head an anti-narcotics agency. And well-meaning Nigerians feel that that the discussion at this point should be issue based and not verbal attacks.
