ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- A former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has drawn comparisons between the governance of former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, and the leadership of the Chairman of Eti-Osa Local Government Area in Lagos State, asserting the latter’s administration as superior.
Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, served as Anambra State Governor from June 2007 to March 2014.
“The Chairman of Eti-Osa Local Government Area in Lagos State has more achievements in governance than Peter Obi,” Omokri said in an interview on the ‘Mic On Podcast’ programme hosted by a Channels Television’s journalist, Seun Okinbaloye, late Saturday.
“I know for a fact that the Eti-Osa Local Government Chairman has built at least, to my knowledge, three schools,” Omokri affirmed.
Omokri, a former aide to erstwhile President Goodluck Jonathan, also challenged Obi’s supporters to name a school built by the former governor during his eight years in office.
While acknowledging Obi’s political career, Omokri emphasized the need for objective evaluation of achievements.
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Upon the conclusion of Obi’s tenure as governor, he joined the Peoples Democratic Party and ran as a running mate to the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the 2019 presidential election.
Omokri said, “I am giving a challenge. I will give any (Obidient) $10,000 if they can name one school that Peter Obi started, completed and commissioned while he was governor.”
He debunked the views that Obi was better than former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso and President Bola Tinubu in terms of infrastructural developments.
The social media influencer also recalled how he encouraged Obi to tread “the best path” for his presidential ambition.
“…Peter Obi cannot deny that I was the one who recommended him to Waziri Atiku Abubakar. Waziri Atiku Abubakar asked me to help him to choose a running mate.
“I called former President Jonathan, I discussed with him. Former President Jonathan told me, ‘Look, it must be Peter Obi’ and then I told former President Jonathan that I can’t just give this man only one name and so we padded the list with some other people’s names and then we put Peter Obi’s name and made it so rosy.
“And, Waziri Atiku Abubakar chose Peter Obi,” the social media influencer stated, adding that “Peter Obi was the best person at that time.”
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“I told Peter Obi that the best path to the presidency for him is to run as Atiku Abubakar’s running mate and then be loyal to him,” Omokri stated, lamenting that Obi did not heed his advice.
However, Omokri lamented that despite his efforts, Obi didn’t heed his advice.
He said, “I told Peter Obi that the best path to the presidency for him is to run as Waziri Atiku Abubakar’s running mate and then be loyal to him.
“And then, when Waziri finishes his tenure, naturally the baton will change from the present to him. He didn’t listen to me.”
The former presidential aide noted that Obi wasn’t posited to win the 2023 election but rather, he (Obi) would “split the Peoples Democratic Party votes and make it possible for Bola Tinubu to win.
“If you contest, you are not going to win. The only thing that you’re going to achieve in contesting is that you are going to split the People’s Democratic Party votes and make it possible for Bola Tinubu to win.
“In terms of education, Peter Obi is the least educationally qualified among the others. In terms of achievement while in office, he doesn’t come close to any of Tinubu and Atiku at all.
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“At the end of the day, if you hold the presidential election 10 times, Peter Obi is still not going to win,” Omokri added.
In the 2023 election, Obi contested for the presidency as the Labour Party’s candidate but eventually lost to Bola Tinubu.
Omokri also addressed criticisms regarding his commentary on Nigeria’s economic challenges, asserting his role as an employer of labor in Nigeria.
Reacting to this, he said, “I’m an employer of labour in Nigeria,” saying that his critics should visit the Corporate Affairs Commission to verify.