I’m Not Fighting With Tinubu, My Fight Is Against Bad Governance – Obi

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has clarified that he is not in conflict with President Bola Tinubu, emphasising that his focus is on advocating for good governance and addressing pressing social issues in Nigeria.

Speaking during a public engagement following his return from Rome on Monday, Obi responded to public reactions about a photograph showing him with the president during a recent event.

“I and the president are not fighting. I’m not fighting anybody. My fight is against bad governance, against hunger, against poverty, against out-of-school children, against people not having health services,” he said.

Obi decried the low coverage of health insurance in the country, stating that, “This country has less than 10 per cent health insurance. It should be 100 per cent.”

Highlighting the importance of education, he said the responsibility of paying teachers should fall on the government, in line with the Universal Basic Education policy.

“These teachers teaching here should be paid by government because it’s universal basic education. The law says here that our children should go to school free. So what my Lord is doing is helping government. Government should help him.”

Referencing his time as governor of Anambra State, Obi said he had always prioritised public welfare.

“That’s what I did in Anambra State. I’m in coalition against hunger, in coalition against poverty, in coalition against good health. What it is for me is not about position. It’s about doing the right thing,” he said.

When asked if his recent interaction with the president was political, Obi replied, “Whatever you make of it, I can tell you, I, Peter, have told you where I stand. I just came back this morning. I didn’t go talk about politics. I’m talking about the education of these children.”

He criticised the country’s focus on politics at the expense of more urgent national issues.

“In this country, we talk about politics and abandon what we should be talking about. What we should be talking about is how we’re going to educate these children,” he said.

PUNCH