…says Obi not an ethnic candidate
A chieftain the Nigeria Democratic Congress, (NDC), Engineer Buba Galadima, has described the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket as Nigeria’s “healing ticket,” saying he and others backed the NDC’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, because they believe his partnership with Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso can salvage the country, foster national unity, and heal long-standing divisions between the North and Southeast.
Galadima made this known in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday,.
He said the alliance was built on the conviction that Nigeria needs reconciliation rather than division, arguing that Obi should be seen as a Nigerian leader rather than an ethnic candidate and urging Nigerians to move beyond the grievances of the civil war era.
“It is our belief that this is the only ticket that can salvage Nigeria. Not only salvage it, but it is a ticket we call the ‘healing ticket,’ designed so that we can forget the past. We decided as a people—at least Senator Kwankwaso and myself—that we will attempt to heal the wounds of the past. We will make every sacrifice possible to bring about this healing between the Southeast and the North,” Galadima said.
“Peter Obi has agreed that if he becomes the President of Nigeria, he will not only address these three issues personally, but he will make us part of those who will work on these issues. If the government fails, it would not be Obi alone; it is us who were part of trying to see what can be done about security in northern Nigeria,” he maintained.
Defending the alliance against critics, Galadima said there was no justification for criticising those backing Peter Obi, noting that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had repeatedly chosen running mates from the Southeast.
“We have been called several names: ‘Oh, you are bringing an Igbo man.’ Unfortunately, it’s not only the ruling APC government criticizing us, but even some opposition political parties. Instead of fighting our common opponent, which is the APC and its government, we are fighting ourselves.
“We ask: Where did we get Obi from? We got Obi from Atiku. He was Atiku’s vice-presidential candidate. Atiku ran with Senator Ben Obi as his vice-presidential candidate, he ran with Peter Obi as his vice-presidential candidate, and he ran with Ifeanyi Okowa as his vice-presidential candidate. Now we are hearing he might run with another south-easterner as his vice-presidential candidate. So, can anybody supporting Atiku be justified in denigrating us by claiming that we are wrongly promoting Igbo people?”, he questioned.
