Peter Obi, presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), says he would not “victimise or witch hunt” previous government if elected into office in the 2023 presidential election.
Speaking with journalists on Friday after unveiling Datti Baba-Ahmed, founder of Baze University, as his running mate for the poll, Obi said he is only interested in blocking leakages and moving the country forward.
“As for probing the past government, let me tell you: you see me argue that you can’t close your shop and be chasing after thieves, those who only look at yesterday and today will miss tomorrow. God did not give us eyes at the back, mine is to look forward,” he said.
“If you come into the government today and decide to stop the leakage first, you will get more. I am not going to be part of any form of victimisation or witch-hunt, it won’t happen. Nigerians must live within law and order.
“But I can tell you right away. If you, the principal person, the local government chairman, the governor or the President are not stealing, your family is not, and those around you are not, you will reduce it by 70 per cent.”
He said that Baba-Ahmed, a former legislator, was excellently equipped to contribute his intellectual and professional accomplishments to the effort to free Nigeria from the archaic politics of ethnicity.
“We made this choice of Datti, and I sat down and discussed it. I said to him, what we are doing is not just the two of us,” he said.
“We are bringing all Nigerians into this big tent where everybody will be involved because we want to end the primitive politics of ethnicity and religion. What we want now is to replace that with competence.”