Former Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, yesterday said he will contest the 2023 presidential election if the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) zones it to the south or throws it open for all to contest.
Obi, a former PDP vice-presidential candidate in the 2019 presidential polls stated this during an interview with journalists.
A statement by his media aide, Val Obienyem, quoted Obi as saying he was capable of changing the fortunes of the country, but would wait until the PDP takes a stand before declaring his intention.
“All the elections that I followed in the past, the party that I belong to today, the PDP made a pronunciation and took a stand. At least in 2019 when I was involved, where I can say Atiku graciously chose me as his running mate which I remain eternally grateful to him for, the party decided that the candidate should come from the North and that was what the party decided.
“And I believe that the party owes it a duty to say what their stand is. If their stand today is south, be rest assured I am aspiring, if they say north, I can’t do otherwise or they chose the option that everybody is free, then, of course, you will be hearing from me. What we are looking for in this country today are people of integrity, people of conscience, people who are less greedy. Educational qualification is not a measure of integrity; it doesn’t guarantee that somebody is less greedy or that people have conscience,” he said.
“I have seen people here acquire what they don’t need. I saw it while I was serving, to fight corruption here, you need somebody who has integrity, who is not greedy, who has conscience if you have that, fighting corruption is easy, because, if you who is in charge is not stealing, you will reduce stealing by 50 to 70 per cent.