A former Governor of Anambra State and presidential hopeful, Peter Obi, says he is not desperate to become the next president in 2023.
The vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PD) in the 2019 election said he is desperate to see the country develop and overcome its current challenges.
Obi made these known on Wednesday during the submission of his Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms to the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja.
He was accompanied by the former Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe.
Obi listed his achievements as Anambra governor, urging Nigerians to note the track records of other presidential aspirants under the PDP platform.
He said, “Our country is now going through a difficult time. I am not desperate to be a president; I am desperate to see a better Nigeria.
“So go and look at the trajectory of where people are coming from and check all the places I have been given responsibility, including being a governor. You saw what I did in Anambra State; you saw what I saved.
“I know what to do in putting money into micro, small and medium scale enterprises. Otherwise, how could a small state like Anambra end up on the day I was handing over not owing salary, pension; no contractor who has executed his job raised certificate or supplied us goods were being owed.
“I saved N77bn which was over $500m at that time in the bank. I know what we can effectively do to turn around the situation. You have to check my trajectory as a person, look at all the people that are contesting and view my background. You will probably see that I am the only person who has a very unique background.”
Obi stated that the country needs to move from being a consumption state to a production nation, saying that the nation needs wealth creators and not wealth sharers.
“We need to move the country from consumption to production. There is nothing to share again, and we now need wealth creators and not wealth sharers. We have been sharing wealth for a long time; we need to start creating wealth.
“I am coming from that background, basically as a trader who has created wealth in the private space and in government space. We now need to shut down the cost of governance and everything.”
Speaking on the zoning, Obi stated that the party leadership has the final say on where the next presidential candidate emerges.
He said, “Well, it is the party. They have the final say. Whatever they say, everybody accepts. I will respect whatever decision they take.”
